Palestinians Say One Dead in Israeli West Bank Raid

 Palestinians remove shattered glass from their apartment that was damaged by the demolition of the apartment upstairs by the Israeli army, that belongs to Palestinian Khaled al-Kharouf, during an overnight army raid in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP)
Palestinians remove shattered glass from their apartment that was damaged by the demolition of the apartment upstairs by the Israeli army, that belongs to Palestinian Khaled al-Kharouf, during an overnight army raid in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP)
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Palestinians Say One Dead in Israeli West Bank Raid

 Palestinians remove shattered glass from their apartment that was damaged by the demolition of the apartment upstairs by the Israeli army, that belongs to Palestinian Khaled al-Kharouf, during an overnight army raid in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP)
Palestinians remove shattered glass from their apartment that was damaged by the demolition of the apartment upstairs by the Israeli army, that belongs to Palestinian Khaled al-Kharouf, during an overnight army raid in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP)

Palestinian official media said Israeli troops shot a man dead in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday during a raid to demolish the apartments of two detained Palestinian suspects, while the military reported it had opened fire to quell a riot.

"The occupation soldiers fired bullets and tear gas, killing a young man who was hit in the chest," the Palestinian official news agency, Wafa, reported.

The military said in a statement to AFP: "During the demolition, a violent riot was instigated in the area, during which terrorists hurled rocks at the (Israeli) forces who responded with live fire.

"A hit was identified."

The Israeli troops had stormed Ramallah, seat of the Palestinian Authority, to demolish the apartments of two Palestinians who are in custody on suspicion of carrying out an attack in the city earlier this year.

"Suddenly, they arrived and surrounded the neighborhood and then entered the house," Ahmed al-Barghouthi, brother of one of the detainees, told AFP.

"They told us that the house was going to be destroyed with explosives and ordered us to leave even though I'm ill and we have two elderly people in our family."

The Israeli military identified the two detained suspects whose apartments were targeted for demolition as Khaled al-Kharouf and Aysar Barghouthi.

It said the two men had killed Lara Tannous and Amer Mansour in a "terror attack adjacent to the town of Silwad" on January 7.

Israel routinely demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out attacks, arguing that such measures act as a deterrent, while critics say they amount to collective punishment.

Violence has surged in the West Bank since war broke out between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on October 7. At least 619 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian official figures.

During the same period at least 18 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the territory, according to Israeli official figures.



Baghdad Escalates Against Militias Amid Potential War with Israel

US forces in Iraq (Reuters)
US forces in Iraq (Reuters)
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Baghdad Escalates Against Militias Amid Potential War with Israel

US forces in Iraq (Reuters)
US forces in Iraq (Reuters)

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein has revealed ongoing talks with the US to prevent Iraq from becoming a war zone.

Meanwhile, the “Iraqi Resistance Coordination” announced it will retaliate if the US uses Iraqi airspace to attack Iran.

The group, which hasn’t named its factions, made the threat following a recent attack on the Ain Al-Asad airbase by an unknown faction. The attack with two rockets injured several US soldiers.

It also follows a series of communications between Baghdad and Washington aimed at avoiding escalation and preventing a full-scale war in the wake of Iran’s threats to avenge the killing of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month.

Baghdad has ramped up its actions against armed factions in its strongest stance since Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced talks with the international coalition in February, which led to a ceasefire between the factions and US forces.

Hussein emphasized that the US has assured Iraq it will not strike unless provoked and that Iraq wants to avoid turning into a battleground.

“The Americans have officially informed us that they will not strike unless attacked,” said Hussein in a televised interview on Sunday evening.

“The Americans are not our enemies; we have historical and strategic relations with them,” stressed the minister.

Despite this, some Iran-aligned Iraqi factions view the US as an enemy, as shown by recent anti-US and anti-Israel signs in Baghdad.

The Resistance Coordination’s statement undermines the recent ceasefire and suggests Iraq might officially enter the conflict if Iran attacks Israel and Israel retaliates.

Washington has not yet commented on the recent attack at Ain Al-Asad, but it has expressed concern and warned of potential consequences for future incidents.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently spoke with al-Sudani about avoiding escalation.

Iraqi authorities are investigating the attack on Ain Al-Asad and have arrested suspects for questioning.