The Israeli occupation forces continue to besiege the city of Jericho, in the eastern West Bank, for the third day, and the Palestinian Prime Minister announced that it is time to confront settler attacks in the West Bank.
With the Israeli siege continuing for a third day, the city of Jericho in the eastern West Bank has turned into something like a "ghost town", since a settler was killed in a shooting attack last Monday.
The Israeli forces closed all entrances to the city with military checkpoints, and worked to check the cards of the citizens and searched their luggage and vehicles, which led to the disruption of traffic for long hours.
The city of Jericho is the only gateway for the residents of the West Bank to the world, through the Karama Bridge crossing with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
The beginning of events
On Monday evening, Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem announced the death of an Israeli (27 years old) from wounds he sustained at a crossroads southeast of Jericho.
This came hours after the occupation army announced that "Palestinian gunmen arrived in their car and opened fire at a car, which resulted in the injury of an Israeli (whose death was announced later)."
The official broadcaster said, "The Israeli army cordoned off the city of Jericho in an attempt to arrest the gunmen who are believed to have fled there."
For its part, the European Union on Tuesday expressed "grave concern about the continued escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian territories," referring to contacts to reduce escalation.
And on Wednesday, eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that an Israeli occupation army force stormed Aqabat Jabr camp near Jericho (east) and surrounded a residential building, which led to clashes that resulted in Palestinian injuries.
Since the beginning of 2023, confrontations have escalated in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and have resulted in the killing of more than 60 Palestinians and more than 10 Israelis in separate operations.
hours waiting
Bassem Abu Maria, a resident of Jericho, spent about 3 hours waiting at the southern Israeli checkpoint of the city.
Abu Maria told Anadolu Agency, "He was returning from travel, on his way to the city of Hebron, in the south of the West Bank, but the Israeli measures prevented that."
Referring to the children and women next to him, Abu Maria added: "Look at this situation. Soldiers keep us in the sun for long hours without water or food. Babies are crying from the long wait."
He continued, "Israel does not care about any humanitarian matters, claiming that they are security measures, and in reality they are punitive."
As for Mansour Salem, he said, "The Israeli army detained him and his friend, Jalal Abu Seif, more than 5 hours ago, without reason."
Salem added to Anadolu Agency: "After about two hours waiting for a turn at the Israeli checkpoint, my card was confiscated and I was asked to sit close to them for no reason."
"ghost town"
For his part, the mayor of Jericho, Abdul Karim Sidr, said, "Jericho has become a ghost town, in which commercial and tourism life has been disrupted, due to the Israeli blockade."
Sidr added to Anadolu Agency: "Jericho is closed tightly, a very thorough inspection of those entering and leaving, and a major crisis, a person needs hours to be able to get out of it."
He explained that the Israeli occupation authorities closed the secondary roads and farms with barbed wire, with the presence of army patrols, which caused harm to farmers and merchants.
He continued, "Those traveling through the Al-Karama Bridge crossing suffer from waiting for long hours at the checkpoints," noting that "the crossing operates intermittently on the Israeli side, without explaining the reason."
West Bank Palestinians depart from Jericho towards the only crossing point available to them into Jordan, located east of the Israeli-controlled city.
The situation in Hawara
Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh said on Wednesday that "the time has come to confront the attacks of (Israeli) settlers in the West Bank."
This came during a visit by Shtayyeh, accompanied by a number of ministers, to the town of Hawara, south of Nablus, to see its conditions after violent attacks by settlers on Sunday/Monday night.
Shtayyeh believed that "the formation of the People's Protection Committees in villages, camps and cities is the real response to all the orgy of settlers."
He added, "The time has come to confront, through popular resistance, the oppression of settlers, and the urgent need for protection committees."
Shtayyeh considered that what happened in Hawara "is an extension of the chain of Israeli criminality in the governorates of Nablus, Jenin, Jerusalem and Jericho," as he put it.
He added, "The settlers are an executive tool for the occupation's crimes under the protection of its military forces."
While the Prime Minister affirmed that the government "will make every effort to meet the needs of the citizens affected" by the settler attacks, he mentioned that a delegation from the European Union will visit the town of Hawara next Friday.
On Sunday evening, Hawara and a number of villages in the vicinity of the city of Nablus witnessed unprecedented attacks by settlers, which resulted in the death of a Palestinian, dozens of injuries, and the burning and destruction of dozens of Palestinian homes and cars, after two settlers were killed in a shooting near the town.
The Israeli authorities did not announce the arrest or prosecution of the settlers responsible for the attacks in the Palestinian towns.
Since the beginning of 2023, confrontations have escalated in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and have resulted in the killing of 66 Palestinians and 12 Israelis in separate operations.
Israel Police disperses "Day of Trouble" demonstrations against the justice reform plan
Israeli police threw stun grenades and clashed in Tel Aviv during demonstrations known as the "Day of Trouble", which intensified weeks of protests against a controversial government plan to reform the judiciary. The police used water cannons to disperse the demonstrators.
Israeli police fired stun grenades and clashed in Tel Aviv on Wednesday during demonstrations known as the "Day of Trouble", adding to weeks of protests against a controversial government plan to reform the judiciary .
In scenes unfamiliar with Tel Aviv demonstrations for years, policemen on horseback tried to prevent protesters from crossing barriers, while traffic jammed the streets.
Live video showed police pushing protesters off the road while chanting: "Shame" and "We are the majority and we are on the streets."
One of the demonstrators in Tel Aviv, who was apparently hit by a grenade launcher, was shown crouching on the ground and holding his head, while the Israeli flag was lying beside him on the road next to a pool of blood.
Reshet Bet radio said police used water cannon to disperse the demonstrators.
"We will not accept violence against the police, blocking roads or breaking the law. The right to demonstrate is not a right to chaos," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose ruling coalition of national and religious parties continued its efforts to pass the legal amendments.
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said some protesters had thrown stones, adding that the police would use all available means to prevent "saboteurs" from rioting and blocking roads.
The plan to reform the judiciary includes granting deputies belonging to the ruling coalition explicit influence in choosing judges, and limits the powers of the Supreme Court to invalidate laws or issue rulings against the executive authority.
The Constitution, Justice and Law Committee of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) approved on Wednesday in principle more proposals included in the plan to reform the judiciary. Opposition deputies boycotted this vote and said that Israel would not become a democratic state if it went ahead with the implementation of this plan.
The plan has not yet been drafted into law, but it has already affected the Israeli shekel and has some Western allies worried about the health of democratic life in Israel.
"Slow it down a bit, get people together, try to build some consensus," US Ambassador to Tel Aviv Tom Nedis told a conference of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies late Tuesday.
Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges he denies, says the changes will rebalance branches of power and boost business. Economists and legal experts said it would isolate Israel and wreak havoc on its economy.
Opinion polls show that the plan is unpopular with most Israelis, who favor compromise.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is trying to push for a compromise and has warned that the country is on the brink of "constitutional and social collapse".