Latest news with #IsraelHayom
Ammon
a day ago
- Ammon
9 Israeli soldiers injured in Kfar Yona ramming attack
Ammon News - Israeli ambulance teams announced that 9 Israeli soldiers were injured in a car-ramming attack in Kfar Yona on Thursday morning. Channel 12 reported that Israeli police estimates that the incident in Kfar Yona was a deliberate attack. 9 injured people were transported from the scene of the attack in Kfar Yona, 6 with moderate injuries and 3 with minor injuries, according to Israel Hayom. Hebrew media confirmed that those injured in the attack in central Israel were soldiers who were at the Kfar Yona bus station. Israel Hayom reported that Israeli security forces were on their way to the scene of the incident, a helicopter was surveying the area, and an investigation was underway into the circumstances of the incident. The perpetrator of the operation managed to escape and is being pursued.
Al Bawaba
a day ago
- Al Bawaba
Ramming attack injures 9 soldiers in Israel
Published July 24th, 2025 - 07:25 GMT ALBAWABA - Israeli police revealed that nine soldiers were wounded on Thursday in a ramming attack at a bus station in Kfar Yona, central Israel. Policemen are still conducting a search operation for the suspect after he fled the scene, local media confirmed on Thursday. Israel Hayom said, citing Israeli ambulance service, that six of the injured Israeli soldiers are in a moderate situation while three others suffer light wounds. Police were mobilized in the area to search for a driver suspected of carrying out the ramming attack at a bus station, without providing any information about his identity. It explained that the West Bank Division set up roadblocks in an attempt to apprehend the driver suspected of carrying out the ramming attack. About 7 or more people have been injured in a Jihadist ramming attack in central Israel near the entrance to Kfar Yona — Documenting Israel (@DocumentIsrael) July 24, 2025 © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Ammon
3 days ago
- Politics
- Ammon
Beyond Gaza's shadow: The unseen war for the West Bank's future
Israel is meticulously following a textbook model of instigating unrest in the occupied West Bank. The latest such provocations consisted of stripping the Palestinian-run Hebron (Al-Khalil) municipality of its administrative powers over the venerable Ibrahimi Mosque. Worse, according to Israel Hayom, it granted these powers to the religious council of the Kiryat Arba Jewish settlement, an extremist settler body. Though all Jewish settlers in occupied Palestine can be qualified as extremists, the approximately 7,500 inhabitants of Kiryat Arba represent a more virulent category. This settlement, established in 1972, serves as a strategic foothold to justify subjecting Hebron to stricter military control than virtually any other part of the West Bank. Kiryat Arba is infamously linked to Baruch Goldstein, the US-Israeli settler who, in February 1994, unleashed a horrific attack. He opened fire at Muslim worshipers kneeling for dawn prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque, mercilessly killing 29. This bloodbath was swiftly followed by another, where the Israeli army brutally cracked down on Palestinian protesters in Hebron and across the West Bank, murdering an additional 25 Palestinians. Yet, the Israeli Shamgar Commission, tasked with investigating the massacre, resolved in 1994 that the Palestinian mosque, a site of profound religious significance, was to be grotesquely divided: 63% allocated to Jewish worshipers and a mere 37% to Palestinian Muslims. Since that calamitous decision, oppressive restrictions have been systematically imposed. These include pervasive surveillance and, at times, unjustifiable, extended closures of the site, solely for exclusive settler use. The latest decision, described by Israel Hayom as "historic and unprecedented," is profoundly dangerous. It places the fate of this historic Palestinian mosque directly into the hands of those fanatically keen on acquiring the holy site in its entirety. But the Ibrahimi Mosque is merely a microcosm of something far more sinister underway across the West Bank. Israel has exploited its war in Gaza to dramatically escalate its violence, carry out mass arrests, confiscate vast tracts of land, systematically destroy Palestinian farms and orchards, and aggressively expand illegal settlements. Though the West Bank, previously largely subdued by joint Israeli military pressures and Palestinian Authority crackdowns, was not a direct party to the October 7, 2023, assault nor the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, it has inexplicably become a major focus for Israeli military measures. In the first year of the war, over 10,400 Palestinians were detained in Israeli army crackdowns, with thousands held without charge. Furthermore, hundreds of Palestinians have been forcibly ethnically cleansed, largely from the northern West Bank, where entire refugee camps and towns have been systematically destroyed in protracted Israeli military campaigns. Israel's overarching aim remains the strangulation of the West Bank. This is achieved by severing communities using ubiquitous military checkpoints, imposing total closures of vast regions, and the cruel suspension of work permits for Palestinian laborers, who are almost entirely dependent on the Israeli work market for survival. This insidious plan also explicitly targeted all Palestinian holy sites, including the revered Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, and the Ibrahimi Mosque. Even when these shrines were nominally accessible, age restrictions and suffocating military checkpoints make it difficult, at times utterly impossible, for Palestinians to worship there. In August 2024, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that his relentless violent campaign against the West Bank was part of confronting the "broader Iran terror axis." Practically, this statement served as a green light for the Israeli army to treat the West Bank as an extension of the ongoing Israeli genocide on Gaza. By mid-July 2025, over 900 Palestinians had been killed by the Israeli army in the West Bank, while at least 15 were murdered by settlers. As Palestinians were pushed further against the wall, with no centralized strategy by their leadership to meaningfully resist, Israel exponentially increased its illegal settlement constructions and the brazen legalization of numerous outposts, many built illegally even by Israeli government standards. Israel's actions in the West Bank were not a sudden deviation but consistent with a long-standing, insidious scheme. This includes a plan solidified by the Israeli Knesset in 2020 that allowed Israel to officially annex the West Bank. Israel's ultimate goal has always been to confine the majority of Palestinians into Bantustan-like enclaves, while asserting full control over the vast majority of the region. In August 2023, extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir articulated this sinister vision: "My right, the right of my wife and my children to move around Judea and Samaria (the occupied West Bank) is more important than freedom of movement for the Arabs." More coercive measures swiftly followed, including Knesset laws to significantly curtail UNRWA operations, and further legislation to entrench de facto annexation. Last May, Smotrich audaciously announced 22 more settlements. On July 2, 14 Israeli ministers made a public call on Netanyahu to immediately annex the West Bank. In fact, every action Israel has undertaken, especially since the commencement of its devastating genocide in Gaza, has been carefully calculated to culminate in the irreversible annexation of the West Bank - a process that would inevitably be followed by declaring native inhabitants persona non grata in their own homeland. This level of systemic pressure and oppression will ultimately lead to a popular explosion. Though suppressed by the brutality of the Israeli army, the terror of armed settlers, and the suppressive actions of the Palestinian Authority, the breaking point is fast approaching. Those in the West who preach hollow calls for calm and de-escalation must understand the region is hurtling towards the brink. Neither diplomatic platitudes nor sterile press releases will suffice to avert the catastrophe. They are advised to act decisively against Israel's destructive policies, and they must act immediately. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappé, is 'Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out'. His other books include 'My Father was a Freedom Fighter' and 'The Last Earth'. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA)
Middle East Eye
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Palestinians warn of ‘dangerous' Israeli plan to hand Ibrahimi Mosque to settlers
Palestinians have warned of a "dangerous" Israeli move reportedly aimed at transferring control of Hebron's Ibrahimi Mosque to settlers in the occupied West Bank. According to a report by Israel Hayom earlier this week, Israel plans to strip the Palestinian-run Hebron Municipality of administrative authority over the historic site. The site would be handed over to the religious council of the nearby Kiryat Arba settlement, built on Hebron's land. The report described the plan as an "unprecedented" step, marking the most significant change to the site's status since 1994. The Islamic Waqf in Hebron told Middle East Eye it had not received any official notification. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Muataz Abu Sneineh, director of the Ibrahimi Mosque, said that if confirmed, the plan would constitute a 'blatant and dangerous assault' on a site of deep 'religious, historical and archaeological' importance. He cautioned that the report may be a test to gauge Palestinian reaction before any formal steps are taken. 'These announcements are dangerous and aim to advance Judaisation plans' - Muataz Abu Sneineh, Ibrahimi Mosque director 'The mosque's guards are still performing their duties, and nothing has changed, but these announcements are dangerous and aim to advance Judaisation plans that could alter the status quo here,' he told MEE. Abu Sneineh added that any interference with the mosque's affairs or physical structure suggests Israel is exploiting the current wars to impose a new reality on the ground. 'Israel continues its violations and disregards all international laws, as this site is on the Unesco list of Palestinian World Heritage sites, and is recognised by human rights organisations,' he said. Palestinians reject the plan The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that the reported Israeli plans represent a 'blatant violation of international law'. The ministry urged Unesco and the international community to intervene immediately, warning of the move's potential to escalate tensions and undermine the sanctity of religious sites. 'The Ministry considers this an unprecedented step in Israel's ongoing efforts to assert sovereignty over the site, Judaize it, and alter its identity and historical features,' it said in a statement. Hebron's mayor, Tayseer Abu Sneineh, echoed the condemnation. In a press statement, he warned that altering the mosque's status would be a 'serious violation of international law and all relevant agreements', including the Hebron Protocol and the Shamgar Committee recommendations, which were issued after the 1994 Ibrahimi Mosque massacre. 'Despite [its plans] being unjust and unilateral, the occupation continues to adhere to some aspects of these recommendations,' he added. 'We have not yet received an official decision, but in principle, we reject it completely. It is a political, cultural and religious aggression against Hebron, and an attack on the municipality's legitimate authority, including over the Ibrahimi Mosque and its surroundings." Restrictions and violations The Ibrahimi Mosque has long been subject to Israeli restrictions and violations. These include repeated bans on the call to prayer, the closure of entrances to Muslim worshippers, settler incursions, the confiscation of keys to rooms and courtyards, invasive searches of worshippers, and harassment of nearby residents. Just last week, Israeli settlers held a wedding in the mosque's courtyard. A source within the Hebron Municipality told MEE that municipal crews are routinely harassed and blocked by Israeli soldiers when attempting to access the site. Amid Iran war, Israel seals off Al-Aqsa Mosque in unprecedented move Read More » Israeli forces deliberately prevent them from completing their work, the source said, requesting anonymity for safety reasons. The Hebron Rehabilitation Committee also faces frequent obstruction by Israeli forces, who prevent any restoration work inside or around the mosque. The Ibrahimi Mosque is regarded as a holy site by Muslims, Jews and Christians alike as the birthplace of Prophet Abraham, patriarch of all three religions. It is known to Israelis as the Cave of the Patriarchs. In 1994, an armed Israeli settler, Baruch Goldstein, entered the complex during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and opened fire on Muslim worshippers, killing 29 people and wounding more than 120. Following the attack, the site was divided into a mosque and a synagogue, paving the way for regular settler incursions and expanded Israeli control over both the mosque and the city of Hebron.
Roya News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
'Israel' transfers Ibrahimi Mosque control to settler council: Hebrew media
'Israeli' authorities have reportedly removed the Hebron municipality's administrative authority over the Ibrahimi Mosque and handed it to a settler-run religious council, Israel Hayom reported on Tuesday. The newspaper described the move as a 'historic and unprecedented change,' claiming that Israel's Civil Administration reassigned control of the holy site to the religious council of Kiryat Arba, a settlement adjacent to Hebron in the occupied West Bank. While the report did not detail the full extent of the powers transferred, it said the decision was meant to enable 'structural changes' at the site, including planned roof renovations and construction in the area known as 'Jacob's Courtyard,' which is used primarily by Jewish worshippers. If confirmed, this would be the most significant alteration to the mosque's status since the 1994 recommendations of the Shamgar Commission, which divided access to the site, allocating 63 percent for Jewish worshippers and 37 percent for Muslims. That division followed the massacre carried out by extremist settler Baruch Goldstein, who killed 29 Palestinians during dawn prayers at the mosque. The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, in a statement issued on February 26, reiterated that the Ibrahimi Mosque, also known as the Cave of the Patriarchs and the Cave of Machpelah, remains 'an exclusive Islamic endowment' and condemned what it described as 'Israeli' attempts to turn the mosque into a Jewish synagogue.
