Further Israeli Crackdown on Palestinian Resistance
Funeral in Nablus, August 9 for three youth killed by Israeli military
in
that city.
The following are excerpts from an article titled "The Hunger Striker and the 'Lion of Nablus'" by Mariam Barghouti, published August 10 on the Mondoweiss website.
On August 9, 2022, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians in two separate incidents. In Nablus, three Palestinians, including Ibrahim Nabulsi, a notable Palestinian resistance fighter from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (Fatah's armed wing), were assassinated in a daytime military raid, while in Hebron 17-year-old Momin Jaber was killed in confrontations as occupation forces raided the city.[1] Moreover, the death of Ibrahim Nabulsi, "the lion of Nablus," is connected to the ongoing struggle of Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh, whose hunger strike has persisted for five months, and who is now being held at Ramleh Prison's infirmary.
All of these incidents are part of the same story -- the Israeli campaign to eradicate Palestinian resistance.
The recent string of Israeli
killings, including the assassination of Nabulsi and the killing of
16-year-old Hussein Taha, came a mere 48 hours after an
Egyptian-brokered ceasefire was reached to halt the latest Israeli
assault on Gaza -- dubbed Operation Breaking Dawn.[2] The
pretext behind Breaking Dawn was to pre-emptively target members of the
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement who the Israeli military
"suspected" of planning an attack against Israel.
However, the focus on the PIJ has also concealed what was taking place weeks before the assault. The Israeli military undertook a series of operations in the West Bank that were part of Operation Break the Wave, which was launched during the spring of this year.[3] On July 24, the Israeli army invaded the old city of Nablus, targeting several houses and residential areas with live ammunition, explosives, and teargas.
[... ]
One pivotal aspect of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's ceasefire agreement was the fulfilment of three primary demands: the release of senior PIJ leader Bassam al-Saadi (who was detained by the Israeli military in Jenin on August 1), the suspension of Israel's targeting of PIJ members or affiliates in the West Bank, and the immediate release of hunger striker Khalil Awawdeh, 41, who has been held under administrative detention with no trial or charge.
[...]
On January 5, Awawdeh was supposed to be released after being arrested on alleged charges of incitement on his Facebook account by Israeli authorities, but his file was turned over to administrative detention a few days later. According to 7amleh's January-March quarterly report, nine people were imprisoned by Israel over incitement.[4] Awawdeh has now been on hunger strike for over 150 days to protest his administrative detention. Due to his deteriorating health, Awawdeh was unable to appear before the court on August 9, as he remains held at the Ramleh prison clinic inside the Green Line. This practice of moving occupied persons from occupied territory is illegal under international law. Awawdeh's health continues to deteriorate, as he continues to be unlawfully held in administrative detention. Indeed, Israel routinely operates outside of the law in order to achieve its intended "security" objectives. An important example is the extra-judicial killing of Nabulsi and leaders of the PIJ such as Tayseer Jaabari in Gaza. What all these cases have in common is that they are decided on and executed based on speculations by Israeli military authorities and intelligence.
Action August 1, 2022 in
support of Palestinian hunger striker Khalil Awawdeh, outside Red Cross
building in Gaza.
[...]
As Awawdeh's
health continues to worsen, Israel seems to be denying that the release
of Saadi and Awawdeh were part of the ceasefire agreement in the first
place.[5]
Yet the targeted and brutal assassination of a 19-year-old whose
reality dictated that he become a resistance fighter implicitly
emphasizes the recognition that Palestinian armed resistance is not
confined to a single political faction, rather extending from Gaza to
Jenin to Nablus, and to Palestinian communities with Israeli
citizenship, as witnessed in the city of Lydd last year.[6] While a
sense of mourning looms over Palestinians, new fears are arising of
renewed attacks by the Israeli army and emboldened settlers on
Palestinian towns and cities.[7]
Since Israeli military intelligence and counterinsurgency capabilities are one of the most technologically advanced in the world, and actively supported by the U.S., Palestinian resistance is further forced underground. Awawdeh continues his fight using his empty stomach. Nabulsi was a 19-year-old who refused to acquiesce to Israeli military aggression, and so Israel targeted him and his comrades, not for "security reasons," but for what they have become -- the symbols of resistance and hope for eventual liberation.
Notes
1. See here.
2. See here.
3. See here.
4. See here.
5. See here.
6. See here.
7 See here.
This article was published in
Volume 52 Number 8 - August 17, 2022
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2022/Articles/M520085.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca