A member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Wasel Abu Youssef, said, "The comprehensive strike is spreading across all governorates of the West Bank, and it is a form of resistance in the face of the Israeli occupation," while the strike also included the Gaza Strip.
A comprehensive general strike took place Thursday, in all walks of life in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to condemn the Israeli army's killing of 11 Palestinians during its storming of the city of Nablus, in the northern West Bank, on Wednesday.
A member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Wasel Abu Youssef, told Anadolu Agency, "The comprehensive strike is spreading across all governorates of the West Bank, and it is a form of resistance in the face of the Israeli occupation."
Abu Youssef added, "The Palestinian people are united in the face of the occupation."
He described the military operation in Nablus as a "massacre", calling for international intervention to stop the Israeli "aggression".
And he added, "Thursdays, marches will be organized at friction points with the Israeli army, to condemn the crime."
The strike includes shops, the transport and communications sector, education in schools and universities, banks and exchange shops, and government institutions.
And on Wednesday, the Palestinian forces and factions (which include all factions) called for a "comprehensive strike in all governorates of the country, to mourn the souls of the martyrs of Nablus, and to condemn the crimes of the Israeli occupation."
On Thursday, Anadolu Agency correspondent in Ramallah said that shops were closed.
On Wednesday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the death of 11 Palestinians, including 3 elderly people and a minor, in a military operation carried out by the Israeli army in Nablus.
The Israeli escalation Dozens of injuries in the West Bank and large demonstrations in the Gaza Strip
On Thursday, dozens of Palestinians suffocated during clashes with the Israeli army in the West Bank. Dozens of Palestinians gathered in a demonstration near the fence separating the Gaza Strip and Israel, to condemn the Israeli army's killing of 11 Palestinians on Wednesday, in the city of Nablus.
On Thursday, dozens of Palestinians suffocated during clashes with the Israeli army in the West Bank.
Field medics told Anadolu Agency that they had dealt with dozens of people suffering from suffocation due to tear gas inhalation, in several locations in the West Bank.
While eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that clashes broke out in several locations in Hebron governorate, centered in the "Bab Al-Zawiya" neighborhood in the center of the city, the entrance to Al-Arroub camp, and the "Beit Anoun" junction, north of the city.
Similar clashes also broke out at the entrance to the cities of Ramallah and Al-Bireh (center).
The witnesses said that the Israeli army used live bullets and tear gas, while dozens of Palestinians threw stones at the forces and set rubber tires on fire.
On Thursday, Palestinian factions and forces announced a general strike in all governorates of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, "mourning the souls of the martyrs of Nablus, and denouncing the crimes of the Israeli occupation."
In separate statements, it called for marches to be held at points of friction with the Israeli army.
On the other hand, dozens of Palestinians gathered, Thursday, in a demonstration near the fence separating the Gaza Strip and Israel, to condemn the Israeli army's killing of 11 Palestinians on Wednesday, in the city of Nablus.
And Anatolia correspondent reported that dozens of Palestinians demonstrated near the border fence separating the Gaza Strip with Israel, burning used tires and raising the Palestinian flag.
The Palestinians chanted takbeers and slogans denouncing Israel's violations in the West Bank.
No confrontations took place between the demonstrators and the Israeli army forces stationed in military jeeps (four-wheel drive vehicles) on the other side of the separation fence until 12:30 GMT.
One of the participants in the demonstration, who preferred not to be named, said: "We came to express our solidarity with the city of Nablus after the martyrdom of 11 Palestinians."
He added, "The occupation's crimes are increasing every day amid international and Arab silence."
The participant called on the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip to "respond to the violations and crimes of the occupation in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem."
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health announced the death of 11 Palestinians, including 3 elderly people and a minor, and the injury of 102 others, as a result of the Israeli army's raid on the city of Nablus for about 4 hours in the morning.
The storming of Nablus Arab condemnations and demands for international intervention to stop the Israeli attacks
Arab and Islamic countries and organizations have condemned the Israeli incursion into the city of Nablus, in the northern occupied West Bank, which left 11 Palestinians dead and 295 injured.
On Wednesday evening, Arab and Islamic countries and organizations condemned the Israeli incursion into the city of Nablus, in the northern occupied West Bank, which left Palestinians dead and injured.
This came in separate statements issued by the foreign ministries of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, Egypt and Jordan.
The Israeli raid on Nablus left 11 Palestinians dead and 295 injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
While Palestine called for emergency meetings for the UN Security Council, the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to provide "international protection" for the Palestinian people.
Arabic warnings
Qatar expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the Israeli occupation forces' incursion, warning of "an explosive situation in the Palestinian territories as a result of the Israeli escalation."
Doha urged "the international community to take urgent action to stop the Israeli attacks, and to hold Israel accountable for its horrific crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories."
Saudi Arabia also expressed the Kingdom's condemnation and denunciation of the raid, affirming "the kingdom's total rejection of the serious violations of international law by the Israeli occupation forces."
Saudi Arabia called on "the international community to assume its responsibilities to end the occupation and stop the escalation and Israeli aggressions."
The UAE confirmed its condemnation of the raid, calling on "the Israeli authorities to reduce escalation and not take steps to exacerbate tension and instability in the region."
Kuwait also strongly condemned the Israeli incursion into Nablus, and considered it a "heinous crime," calling on "the international community to assume its responsibilities and take immediate action to stop these blatant attacks."
The Sultanate of Oman said it condemned the storming, calling on the international community to assume its responsibilities to protect civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Fears of undermining the calm
Egypt, which leads mediation roles between Palestine and Israel, stressed its condemnation of the Israeli incursion.
And she expressed "deep concern about this escalation, which (...) undermines efforts to achieve calm between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, and affects the chances of reviving the peace process."
Jordan also condemned "continued Israeli incursions into occupied Palestinian cities," calling for "immediate action to stop the escalation in order to avoid further deterioration."
In a related context, the Arab Parliament described, in a statement, the Israeli incursion as a "heinous crime," calling on "the international community to intervene immediately to stop these crimes, and the American administration to put pressure on the occupation government to stop its continued aggression."
The Gulf Cooperation Council stressed its rejection of all violations of the "Israeli occupation", calling on "the international community to take urgent action to stop these violations against the Palestinian people."
In a statement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation called on "the UN Security Council to assume responsibility, enforce its relevant resolutions, put an end to this continuous Israeli terrorism, and provide protection for the Palestinian people."
In a statement, the League of Arab States condemned "the massacre committed by the Israeli occupation forces in the city of Nablus," calling on "the international community to put an urgent and immediate end to these crimes."
The Knesset approves a law prohibiting funding medical treatments for Palestinian prisoners
The Israeli Knesset approved, in its preliminary reading, a bill banning state funding for medical treatments and surgeries for Palestinian prisoners. The move was condemned by various Palestinian organizations and parties.
The Israeli Knesset approved, in its preliminary reading, on Thursday, a bill banning the funding of medical treatments for Palestinian prisoners.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said: "The Knesset (Parliament) approved a preliminary reading of a bill prohibiting the state's funding of unnecessary medical treatments for security prisoners (Palestinian detainees on national grounds), including cosmetic treatments."
The bill still has to be voted on in three readings before it becomes law, according to the same source.
For his part, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club (non-governmental), Qaddoura Fares, said in a written statement, Thursday, "The approval by the Knesset, in the first preliminary reading, of a bill aimed at depriving Palestinian prisoners in occupation prisons of their right to treatment and to perform surgeries (... .)".
Fares added, "Although international laws and norms guarantee the right to treatment and health care, the occupation authorities continue to violate everything approved by the international system, without any deterrence.
He continued, "These legislations, which target the remaining rights of prisoners, come in light of the escalation of attacks on prisoners."
He explained, "There are about 200 prisoners suffering from chronic diseases, and some of them suffer from severe injuries, and need intensive health care and surgeries, in addition to that about 24 prisoners suffer from cancer and tumors of various degrees."
In turn, the Palestinian "Hamas" movement considered that "the project is an extension of the policy of deliberate medical negligence and slow killing of them."
And she said in a statement: "Zionist law is an expression of the fascism of the Zionist occupation against our people."
The movement called on human rights and international institutions "to condemn this law and other Zionist laws that are applied coercively and arbitrarily to our people, and that violate the most basic standards and laws of human rights."
He also called for "work to raise their testimonies and reports on racism and occupation crimes to the competent international courts in support of the values of freedom and justice."
No date has been set for voting on the bill with full readings.