6 Palestinians Killed, Nearly 20 Wounded in West Bank
Israeli raids in the West Bank led to the death of six Palestinians and nearly 20 wounded on Tuesday, as the city of Nablus has become a focal point of clashes between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces.
Facts
- Israeli raids in the West Bank led to the death of six Palestinians and nearly 20 wounded on Tuesday, as the city of Nablus has become a focal point of clashes between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces.
- Israeli security forces said the Nablus raid targeted a hideout that was being used as a headquarters and explosives manufacturing site by the Lions' Den, a recently formed Palestinian armed faction that is said to have carried out several attacks on Israeli troops in recent months.
- Israeli PM Yair Lapid stated that Wadih Al Houh, a leader of the Lions' Den, was killed in Nablus. Later statements reported that two other Palestinians were killed there and another Palestinian was killed in Ramallah.
- Palestinian outlets reported that Israeli forces raided neighborhoods in Nablus, “where the sounds of shooting and explosions were heard and columns of smoke and flames were seen emanating from several neighborhoods,” followed by fierce clashes.
- Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a spokesman for Palestinian Authority Pres. Mahmoud Abbas described the ongoing Israeli raids as a "war crime." The Israeli raid in Nablus was also condemned by the head of the hardline Arab Israeli Balad party.
- According to the UN, more than 100 Palestinian fighters and civilians have been killed since the start of 2022 — the heaviest death toll in the West Bank for almost seven years. This year has also seen a string of attacks in Israel.
Sources: France24, Haaretz, Gulf, CNN, and Times of Israel.
Narratives
- Pro-Israel, as provided by Times of Israel. The so-called "Lions' Den" is just another terrorist organization that Israel must neutralize. Though the media may portray the violence in the West Bank as Israeli aggression, in reality, Israel's raids are a response to the string of terror operations that have plagued Israeli society since earlier this year. Israel must fight terror in the West Bank to prevent spillover into Israel.
- Pro-Palestine, as provided by Al Jazeera. Though Israel portrays its actions as defensive, its occupation forces are launching a deadly campaign against Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank. Nablus has been under siege for more than two weeks as settlers backed by the Israeli military attack Palestinian civilians just for existing on their land. Palestinians, including the Lions' Den, have a right to resist this brutal occupation.
- Narrative C, as provided by Crisis Group. The situation in the West Bank is spiraling out of control, and the possibility of a third intifada continues to grow. Palestinians have lost all hope in their largely corrupt and subservient leadership, making violence all the more likely. For its part, the Palestinian Authority is between a rock and a hard place, as it cannot directly intervene without destroying its already damaged reputation among Palestinians.
