Israeli Forces Kill Seven Palestinians in West Bank

Palestinians walk during rainfall, after Israeli forces raided Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta
Palestinians walk during rainfall, after Israeli forces raided Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta
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Israeli Forces Kill Seven Palestinians in West Bank

Palestinians walk during rainfall, after Israeli forces raided Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta
Palestinians walk during rainfall, after Israeli forces raided Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta

Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians, including two minors and at least one gunman, in the occupied West Bank late on Saturday and early Sunday, medics and local sources said.
Five of the deaths occurred in the city of Jenin, which the Israeli military said it raided to detain a Palestinian who is suspected of involvement in a lethal West Bank ambush in August.
The military did not immediately elaborate on the Jenin incident, which witnesses described as clashes between gunmen and troops, Reuters said.
The WAFA official Palestinian news agency said that Israeli forces stormed Jenin "from several directions, firing bullets and surrounding government hospitals and the headquarters of the Red Crescent Society".
A sixth Palestinian fatality was in Yatma, a village near Nablus city, and another was near a Jewish settlement outside the West Bank town of El Bireh, Palestinian officials said. There was no immediate comment from Israel on those incidents.
Six other Palestinians were injured during the shooting in Jenin, the Palestinian health ministry said.
A number of Palestinian factions called for a strike in Jenin on Sunday to "mourn the souls of the martyrs", the WAFA said.



Assad to Araghchi: Iranian Response to Israel ‘Was Strong’

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Damascus on Saturday. (EPA)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Damascus on Saturday. (EPA)
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Assad to Araghchi: Iranian Response to Israel ‘Was Strong’

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Damascus on Saturday. (EPA)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Damascus on Saturday. (EPA)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Damascus on Saturday, coinciding with an Israeli strike that targeted a car on the Homs-Hama road in northern rural Homs. Reports suggest that a prominent member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed in the attack.

Araghchi, along with his delegation, met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other top officials, including Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi Jalali and Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh.

According to a statement from the Syrian presidency, Assad praised Iran’s “strong response” to Israeli violations, stating it delivered a lesson to Tel Aviv and demonstrated the ability of the Axis of Resistance to counter Israel’s aggression. He also emphasized the strategic importance of the Syrian-Iranian relationship in facing regional challenges, further adding that Israel must cease its violent actions and return rightful territories to their owners.

Discussions between Assad and Araghchi focused on Israeli aggression in Lebanon and the need for regional support for the displaced Lebanese population.

The Iranian official reiterated his country’s commitment to supporting efforts for a ceasefire, particularly in Lebanon and Gaza, and stressed the importance of international coordination to halt the aggression. This follows earlier comments made by Araghchi in Beirut, where he pointed to Iran’s efforts to achieve a simultaneous ceasefire in both Lebanon and Gaza.

This was Araghchi’s first visit to Damascus since assuming office. Recently, analysts have highlighted growing differences between Iran and Syria on several issues, including Tehran’s limited economic and energy support for Damascus, which faces a severe economic crisis.

Furthermore, reports have suggested that Iran has reduced its military presence in Syria due to increased Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian forces and commanders since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.

During Araghchi’s visit, Syrian state media reported that air defenses intercepted hostile targets over western Homs, though details were not provided. Local sources reported the death of one person and the injury of three others in a drone strike on a car in the Homs area.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the attack, noting that it targeted one Syrian and two foreign nationals, including a commander.