On the third day of Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, the ancient city of Jericho in the occupied West Bank remains under Israeli military siege for the second consecutive day, not to mention Israeli forces’ breaking into a prayer area on the eastern wall of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
Since yesterday, the Israeli occupation army has established temporary military checkpoints at all major entrances to Jericho, leading to traffic jams and unusually long queues of vehicles.
The Israeli forces continued closing Jerisho on Sunday leading to major confrontations in the area.
Palestinians seeking to leave or enter the city, as well as those wishing to travel abroad and pass through Jericho, are being held for extended periods at military checkpoints on the roads leading in and out of the city.
The city, which last year witnessed the most active tourist activity not seen for many years, turned this year into a big prison during the Muslim holiday which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, as a result of the Israeli military closure of the city that made it very difficult for tourists and local residents alike to enter or leave the city.
In addition to the siege, confrontations erupted earlier this morning between Israeli occupation soldiers and frustrated Palestinian residents at the south entrance to the city. During these confrontations, tear gas was fired at the protesters by Israeli soldiers, resulting in cases of suffocation from gas inhalation.
Jericho and the adjacent Aqabat Jabr refugee camp have witnessed repeated Israeli military assaults since early February, including a bloody army attack on the refugee camp on February 6 that resulted in the deaths of five Palestinians.
Despite the fact that the city is typically a tourist destination during the Muslim holidays and attracts tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank and the 1948-occupied territories, the current siege is preventing many from visiting or leaving Jericho.
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Israeli Incursion in Al-Aqsa Mosque
In the same context, Israeli troops stormed the Bab al-Rahma prayer area on Saturday, destroying electrical installations, lighting and speakers inside, as people were celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Israeli authorities had originally sealed off the prayer space in 2003 during the second Intifada (uprising), alleging that the site was being used for political activities by members of the Islamic Movement in Israel’s Northern Branch – an allegation denied by the Islamic Waqf department, which is in charge of al-Aqsa Mosque affairs.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement has strongly condemned Israeli forces for breaking into a prayer area on the eastern wall of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
The group’s spokesperson, Tariq Salmi, denounced the incursion into the Bab al-Rahma (The Gate of Mercy) prayer space, calling it a targeted onslaught against the holy site. Salmi reaffirmed the Palestinian nation’s readiness to defend their sanctities against the Tel Aviv regime’s violations, adding that any act of aggression against al-Aqsa Mosque or other holy sites in al-Quds will draw a strong response from resistance fighters and evoke severe repercussions across the Middle East.
Despite strict measures taken by the Zionist entity, a total of 120,000 Palestinian worshipers performed the Eid al-Fitr prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Friday. However, Israeli forces reportedly assaulted Palestinian youths on their way to perform the prayers, beating them with sticks near the Lions’ Gate in occupied al-Quds.
In the same context, Israeli settlers embarked today on bulldozing a Palestinian-owned land in the village of Bayrin in Masafer Yatta region, to the south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. The measure comes in preparation for the construction of a building that will serve the colonial Israeli settler community in the region, according to local sources.
Khader Adnan’s Hunger Strike Enters 78th Day
Meanwhile, Khader Adnan, a 44-year-old Palestinian detainee, is now on his 78th consecutive day of hunger strike to protest against his unjust detention by Israeli occupation authorities.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) has issued a warning, stating that Adnan’s health condition has become critical, and he may die at any moment.
An Israeli court has rejected a request to release him despite repeated warnings about his serious health condition.
The Palestinian Safa news agency cited Adnan’s lawyer as making the announcement on Sunday, saying he had been once again denied release on bail by an Israeli military court.
Adnan attended the court session via video conference, during which he lost consciousness several times over his deteriorating health condition, according to the PPS.
Despite being held in the Ramla Prison Clinic, Adnan has reached a very dangerous stage, and he’s facing a risk of death, especially since the Israeli authorities refuse to deal with his demands.
Adnan was arrested on February 5 after Israeli forces raided his home in the town of Arraba near Jenin, with his home being vandalized during his arrest.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
