Israel approves 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank
Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 war, which Palestinians claim for a future state. It settled more than 500,000 Jews in the West Bank, as well as more than 200,000 in disputed East Jerusalem.
Israel’s government is dominated by far-right advocates of the settler movement, including Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the cabinet minister who oversees the country’s police force.
Settler expansion has increased in recent months as attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have increased.
During the olive harvest in October, settlers in the area carried out an average of eight attacks per day; this was the highest number since the United Nations humanitarian agency began collecting data in 2006. Attacks continued in November, and the United Nations recorded at least 136 more attacks by 24 November. Settlers burned cars, desecrated mosques, looted industrial facilities, and destroyed cultivated land. Israeli officials have done little other than occasionally condemning the violence.
Ministry announces that two Palestinians died in clashes in the West Bank
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah said two Palestinians, one aged 16, were killed in clashes with the Israeli army in the northern part of the West Bank on Saturday night (Sunday AEDT).
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The Israeli army said that a militant was shot and killed after he threw a block at the troops in Kabatiya, and another militant was killed after he threw explosives at the troops operating in the town of Silat al-Harithiya.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that the Palestinian killed in Kabatiya was 16-year-old Rayan Abu Muallah. Palestinian media published brief security footage of the incident in which the teenager emerged from an alley and was shot by soldiers as he approached them without throwing anything. The Israeli army said the incident was under investigation.
The Ministry of Health announced that the second person was 22-year-old Ahmed Ziyoud.
The Israeli army has stepped up military operations in the West Bank since the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led offensive that triggered the war in Gaza.
Cardinal celebrates Christmas Mass in Gaza
The top Catholic leader in the Holy Land visited Gaza’s only Catholic church and celebrated a pre-Christmas mass on Sunday, which included the baptism of a baby. Dozens of Palestinians gathered at the Holy Family Congregation.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, on his fourth visit to Gaza since the war began, said the Christian community aimed to be “a stable, solid point of reference in this sea of destruction” as reconstruction slowly begins.
“This time it’s different,” Pizzaballa said. “I saw the new desire for a new life.”
The Holy Family compound was hit by fragments of an Israeli artillery shell in July, killing three people in what Israel described as an accident and expressed regret. The community served as a refuge for Christians and Muslims, sheltering hundreds of displaced people.
There was a mixture of gratitude and sadness as people in the church celebrated Christmas away from home. Nazih Lam’e Habashi, who stayed there with his family, said, “They welcomed us with great love and respect.” “This is the third holiday we have celebrated since the war.”
“Hopefully, life will get better,” Najla Saba added.
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