WEST BANK, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Palestinian national and Islamic factions said the escalation of Jewish settler attacks across the occupied West Bank is taking place with the support of the Israeli government and the protection of its military, calling for unified efforts to confront ongoing violations against Palestinians, their land and holy sites.
Following a meeting in Ramallah, the factions pointed to continued Israeli attacks on Islamic and Christian holy sites, including restrictions on the Muslim call to prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque and raids on Aqsa Mosque, as well as attacks on places of worship and refugee camps and continued raids and demolitions across the occupied West Bank.
Rejecting attempts to target schools and curricula
The national and Islamic factions rejected attempts to alter Palestinian school curricula, particularly in Occupied Jerusalem, and said efforts to close schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reflect Israel’s continued targeting of Palestinian rights and national principles.
They also called for intensified efforts to protect Palestinians as the olive harvest season approaches, amid repeated settler attacks involving the cutting down of trees, theft of crops and attempts to prevent farmers from reaching their land and harvesting their olives.
The factions stressed the importance of broad Palestinian participation in protecting the olive harvest, which provides a major source of income for thousands of Palestinian farmers.
Warning against supporting settlements
The factions rejected the involvement of any parties in supplying temporary housing units to Israeli settlements, whether through manufacturing, transportation or installation. They also warned against participating in tenders related to construction and infrastructure projects inside settlements built on occupied Palestinian land.
They said the warning also applies to contractors and equipment involved in construction projects, particularly bypass roads intended to expand settlements, further isolate Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps, and impose additional restrictions on Palestinians.
Call to support elections and national dialogue
The national and Islamic factions stressed the importance of ensuring the success of the Palestinian elections scheduled for November 28, alongside ongoing preparations for elections to the Palestinian National Council.
They also called for unified efforts to ensure the success of Palestinian national dialogue involving different factions and political forces, saying greater national unity is needed to confront current challenges.
Settler attacks continue on the ground
Meanwhile, Jewish settlers on Monday detained Palestinian resident Khader Mohammed Bani Odeh and his vehicle in the Ras al-Ahmar area southeast of Tubas as he was returning home, according to Mutaz Bisharat, an official responsible for monitoring settlement activity in the Tubas governorate.
In the Bethlehem governorate, settlers uprooted a number of olive trees and plowed privately owned Palestinian farmland in the Jabal al-Qarn area of al-Minya, east of the city.
The Shaab al-Louz area west of the village of al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, also witnessed provocative settler activity, including the transportation of quantities of timber toward settlement outposts established in the area. The activity raised concerns that settlers were preparing to establish new structures and expand existing outposts on Palestinian land.
Settlers erect new tent northwest of Ramallah
Jewish settlers on Monday erected a new tent on Jabal al-Qarana in the village of Deir Abu Mashal, northwest of Ramallah, as part of repeated attempts to establish a settlement outpost and seize additional village land.
The move came months after a previous attempt to establish an outpost at the same location. Dozens of Palestinian residents reached the site and dismantled it at the time, amid confrontations with Israeli occupation forces.
Violations by Israeli forces and settlers continue across the occupied West Bank and Occupied Jerusalem, amid growing Palestinian calls to strengthen local steadfastness and intensify popular and national efforts to confront settlement expansion and ongoing attacks.
