Photo by [The Times of Israel]
Israeli forces conducted a raid in the Old Town of Nablus, where allegedly armed activists known as the Lion’s Den are based.
According to Ahmad Al-Bazz, a journalist based in Palestine, Israeli forces struck a workshop where the activists were manufacturing explosives meant for Israeli targets.
During the operation, Israeli forces killed a senior member of the group in addition to civilian casualties that were killed by undercover Israeli operatives for accidentally uncovering their identities.
The funerals of those killed were held the following day. As a result, Palestinians participated in a general strike that took place all across the West Bank.
Al-Bazz said Palestinians are anticipating more military operations to occur in the upcoming days.
The blockade of Nablus is taken as a collective punishment of Palestinians after alleged armed activists killed an Israeli soldier.
In response, the Israeli Defense Force began to restrict movement in and out of the city of Nablus. All the while, Israeli settlers have been attacking farmers, business owners and school children.
Israeli settlers continue to injure, harass and kill Palestinians with no action taken against their communities by the IDF.
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Protests Across Palestinian Territories
Palestinians have taken to the streets in protests of the besiegement and violence in Nablus.
Al-Bazz said, after the second intifada, the West Bank saw a collapse in its military power. And now, independent fighters have been actively trying to form resistance groups.
These groups have managed to gain favour with the Palestinian public, as they are viewed as representatives of the Palestinian cause.
“They have very simple weapons, and the only thing they have is their will to fight … I witnessed something unique last week. One statement from the group, the Lion’s Den, on telegram we’ve seen [high numbers of Palestinian people] going to the streets at midnight … Just because activists asked them to do so.”
After ten years of political inactivity, Al-Bazz said, Palestinians are “thirsty to see something happening on the ground,” which is why they are supporting these resistance groups.
Resistance Groups
The narrative that is being reported by the Israeli and western media is that the blockade of Nablus is to counteract a new wave of terrorism from armed Palestinian resistance groups.
However, Al-Bazz states, for Palestinians, it is a continuation of fighting against oppression and settler colonialism. A cause pushed forward by the activity of resistance groups in the West Bank area against Israeli settlers and soldiers.
“They [Palestinians] are not citizens anywhere. They are ruled under Israeli military law. They don’t have the freedom to move [in their own country].”
