Today, Saturday, the Palestinian government warned of the danger of the ongoing Israeli escalation in the West Bank, pointing to the collective punishment measures that the Hebron Governorate is being subjected to, including the displacement of residents of entire neighborhoods, the demolition of homes and facilities, and the closure and siege of Palestinian cities, within the framework of a systematic policy pursued by the occupation government in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, according to what was published by the German News Agency.
The government said, in a statement, that this comes at a time when the camps and cities of the northern West Bank are still suffering from the repercussions of displacement and demolition, after more than 40,000 citizens were forced to leave their homes from the beginning of 2025 until today.
The government described this criminal escalation as “an act of aggression targeting the Palestinian people, their land, and their capabilities,” holding “the occupation fully responsible for this dangerous persistence.”
It called on the international community to intervene urgently and immediately to stop the occupation and its government from continuing to commit more crimes taking place in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
She stressed that “this escalation that has affected all governorates will not bring security and peace to anyone, and that its continuation will only lead to more tension and escalation,” stressing that “our Palestinian people will remain steadfast and adhere to their land, their sanctities, and their inalienable historical rights.”
Israeli forces forced dozens of Palestinian citizens to evacuate their homes in the Al-Jalda and Deir Baha areas in the city of Hebron in the southern West Bank, according to local Palestinian sources.
The Israeli army and the Shin Bet internal intelligence service said that Israel launched a counter-terrorism operation in the Hebron area in the occupied West Bank following an attack that resulted in the killing of two soldiers.
The Israeli army announced the killing of two soldiers and the wounding of three others in a shooting attack near Hebron yesterday, Friday, confirming the death of the two Palestinian attackers, who are from the city of Hebron.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a “big surprise” awaits the Palestinian Authority, after he ordered the launch of a large-scale military operation following an attack targeting soldiers in the occupied West Bank.
A few days before the legislative elections, Netanyahu avoided answering directly whether he intended to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, but indicated that he preferred the method of “surprise and surprise.”
He stated: “We have changed the Middle East. “I said we will make a change, and this is what we did,” in an interview with the “I24 News” network conducted late yesterday (Friday), according to what was reported by “Agence France-Presse.” He added: “There is a very big surprise waiting for the Palestinian Authority as well.”
During the interview, Netanyahu had vowed a strong military response following the killing of two Israeli soldiers in an attack carried out by two Palestinian gunmen near the city of Hebron in the West Bank. Following the attack, one of his far-right allies called for “the dismantling and disarmament of the Palestinian Authority.”
There is no evidence indicating a link between the Palestinian Authority and the attack that occurred yesterday.
Netanyahu strongly rejects the idea of establishing a Palestinian state, a position also shared by his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, a few days before Tuesday's elections.
The death toll as a result of the attack on a church in Karak Governorate, south of Amman, on Friday, rose to 8, according to a new toll announced by Health Minister Ibrahim Al-Badour today (Sat).
The minister said in a telephone call with Agence France-Presse: “The number of martyrs who fell in the attack on the church of the village of Al-Hamoud in Karak has risen to 8 martyrs after the death of one of the wounded who was in critical condition.” According to the minister, there are 26 injured people still receiving treatment in hospitals, including one critical condition.
Seven people were killed on Friday, in a shooting carried out by “extremist” gunmen inside and outside the Greek Orthodox Church in Karak Governorate, 118 km south of Amman, according to a preliminary toll announced by the Jordanian authorities yesterday (Friday).
The official Al-Mamlaka channel broadcast a video clip showing three gunmen shooting towards the church during a funeral, before advancing towards the entrance while continuing to shoot, in a very rare event in the Kingdom of Jordan.
King Abdullah II threatened the perpetrators of the “terrorist act” with “the most severe punishments,” stressing: “We will strike with an iron fist anyone who attacks this country.” He wrote on the “X” platform: “Whoever imagines that the bullets of treachery are splitting the ranks of the Jordanians, his efforts will be defeated in the face of our solidity and unity.”
Karak Governorate, with a population of approximately 375,000, includes a significant Christian presence of clans such as the Hilsa and the Hijaz. Christian families are concentrated in certain neighborhoods, such as the “Christian Quarter” in the city center.
In 2016, Karak Governorate witnessed a series of attacks, most of which were attributed to ISIS, the most violent of which was an attack that targeted a security center and police patrols, resulting in 10 deaths, including 7 security personnel and a tourist in December. Four gunmen who barricaded themselves in Karak Castle were subsequently killed during a confrontation with security personnel.
