Israeli forces close the gate of a Palestinian school near Nablus in the occupied West Bank
The Israeli army on Monday used rubber bullets and tear gas canisters to disperse Palestinian students and officials defying an Israeli order to close a school in the West Bank city of Nablus.
On Sunday, Israeli authorities ordered the closure of the Al-Laban-Al-Sawiya school in Nablus on the pretext that students had hurled stones at Israeli soldiers and settlers.
Despite the order, students and local officials attempted to reopen the school, prompting Israeli forces to use rubber bullets and tear gas canisters to disperse them.
Israeli forces clash with Palestinians who protest the closure of the Al-Laban-Al-Sawiya school in Nablus, West Bank on Monday. The Israeli army on Monday used rubber bullets and tear gas canisters to disperse Palestinian students and officials defying an Israeli order to close a school in the West Bank city of Nablus.
Dozens hurt as Israeli army shuts West Bank school
Municipal council chief Samer Eweis was injured by a rubber bullet and AFP photojournalist, Jaafar Ashtiyeh, was hospitalized after being hit in the head by a gas canister, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent.
Dozens of Palestinians students also suffered temporary asphyxiation after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli forces and were treated on the spot.
The school was attacked by settlers a few months ago and is constantly being attacked by the Israeli army, according to Palestinian residents.
Israeli forces rounded up 22 Palestinians in overnight raids across the occupied West Bank, according to the Israeli military on Monday. The individuals were arrested for “suspected involvement in popular terrorist activities”, the army said in a statement, without elaborating on the nature of these activities.The Israeli army frequently carries out wide-ranging arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.According to Palestinian figures, some 6,500 Palestinians continue to languish in Israeli detention facilities, including scores of women and hundreds of minors.Israeli settlement building ‘accelerating’: Arab League
Israel arrests 22 Palestinians in West Bank raids
The Arab League has warned of accelerating Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank.In a report issued late Sunday, the Cairo-based league said Israeli settlement building was taking place “in an accelerating pace amid U.S. acceptance and encouragement and absence of international accountability."Accusing the Israeli government of "violating" international law, the pan-Arab body said the Israeli actions in the occupied territories "amount to war crimes", citing house demolitions, displacement of Palestinian residents and confiscation of their lands.According to the report, Israeli investments in East Jerusalem hit 4.5 billion shekels ($1.24 billion), 87% of them were allocated for Jewish settlements and only 13% for Palestinian neighborhoods."Israel systematically allocates lands for Jews as part of a policy that can only be described as apartheid," the report said.On Sunday, the Israeli government approved a plan to expand a Jewish settlement in the West Bank city of Hebron.Israel’s Netanyahu threatens Hamas with ‘very strong blows’Israel bans fuel shipments into GazaIsraeli officials oppose decision to halt Gaza fuelIsraeli settlement building in the occupied territories is one of the biggest obstacles to the resumption of peace negotiations with the Palestinians, which has been stalled for years.According to Palestinian figures, more than 700,000 Jewish settlers now live on 196 settlements (built with Israeli government approval) and more than 200 settler outposts (built without its approval) across the occupied West Bank.International law views the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "occupied territories" and considers all Jewish settlement-building activity on the land to be illegal.Two Palestinians injured in Israeli settler run-overIsraeli settlers destroy olive groves near NablusProtests won’t stop until Gaza siege lifted: Haniyeh
Israeli settlement building ‘accelerating’: Arab League
The border crossing between Jordan and Syria officially opened to civilians and trade on Monday after being closed for three years.The Nassib crossing opened an 8 a.m. (0500 GMT), a border official on the Jordanian side in Jaber told Reuters, but added that there had been no traffic so far. One civilian could be seen waiting to cross.Jordanian state news agency Petra reported early on Monday that Jordan and Syria had agreed to open the border to all in a change from an earlier statement that normal traffic would not be allowed until a later date."We are fully ready to receive passengers and transport of goods," Imad Riyalat, head of the Jaber crossing, told Reuters. "We expect the traffic to be slow now at the start, but in coming days we expect passenger movement to pick up."Leader of Russia-backed Crimea to visit SyriaThe Syrian government retook the area around the Nassib border crossing with Jordan in July during a Russian-backed offensive to drive the oppositionnfrom their stronghold in southwest Syria. The civil war in Syria began more than seven years ago.The closure of the Nassib crossing in 2015 cut a crucial transit route for hundreds of trucks a day transporting goods between Turkey and the Gulf, and Lebanon and the Gulf, in multi-billion dollar annual trade.Since then, Syria's only normally operating frontier crossing has been with Lebanon, which itself has no other functioning land borders.Turkish soldiers at the ready for possible op in east of EuphratesOpening the border will also be important for Lebanon, which relies on Syria for overland connections to all other countries because its only other frontier is with Israel, with which it has no ties.Syrian state television footage showed the Syrian side of the crossing as being virtually empty, with just a couple of vehicles present. State news agency SANA said the logistical arrangements for opening the crossing had been completed."A Jordanian citizen may leave for Syria in their own car or as a regular passenger. Jordanian cargo is also allowed to leave for Syria according to the Jordanian-Syrian agreement," Petra said on Monday.Petra said Syrians entering Jordan must first obtain security clearance from Jordanian authorities. Turkey, US train for joint patrols in Syria's Manbij
Jordan and Syria reopen Nassib border crossing