A Palestinian was killed by Israeli army gunfire in the West Bank as the comprehensive closure began on the anniversary of the October 7 attack

Today (Monday), the Israeli army killed a Palestinian and wounded others in the West Bank, in light of a security escalation with the beginning of the comprehensive closure of the West Bank on the third anniversary of the October 7 war.

The Israeli army opened fire on a car near the entrance to the town of Bani Naim, southeast of Hebron, in the south of the West Bank, on the pretext of an attempt to carry out a ramming attack, killing one man and wounding two. Local sources reported that Mahmoud Idais (41 years old), from the city of Yatta, south of Hebron, was the one who was immediately shot dead.

The Palestinians accused the army of executing him in cold blood simply on suspicion that his car was speeding.

Security and local sources told the official Palestinian News Agency that the occupation forces fired live bullets directly at the vehicle near the entrance to Bani Naim, while the Red Crescent said that the occupation forces prevented its crews in Hebron from reaching the casualties inside the vehicle.

The Israeli army responded with a later statement in which it said that its force had spotted a vehicle driving suspiciously with three suspects on board. After that, the vehicle accelerated towards a force vehicle and collided with it.

The statement added: “There were no casualties among our forces. In response, the force opened fire at the suspicious vehicle, and injuries were detected. The forces began combing operations and closed roads and nearby villages.”

The incident increased tension in the West Bank, which has witnessed clashes, raids, Israeli assassinations, and Palestinian operations in the past few weeks.

The Israeli authorities closed the West Bank, along with the crossings leading to the Gaza Strip, on Monday, in a measure that will continue until Wednesday, coinciding with the third anniversary of the attacks on October 7, 2023.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said, in a statement, that he approved the army’s recommendation to impose a closure in light of what he described as an “evaluation of the security situation,” and on the occasion of the commemoration of the events of October 7.

Israel fears a Palestinian escalation on the anniversary of the October attacks, and also fears, according to Israeli media, that Palestinian security personnel will participate in such attacks, which is an old scenario.

Israeli Channel 14 said that the army and security establishment are preparing to present operational plans to the Central Region Command to deal with the “gun coup” scenario to the next Ministerial and Security Council meeting.

“Gun coup” is the term given by the security services to a scenario in which the authorities use their guns against Israel and the settlers.

On Tuesday, the Lebanese Army will begin joint training with the British Army, according to what the two parties announced, with elements from the armies of the United States, France, and Italy participating in this unusual maneuver that extends for 3 weeks, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.

Britain is one of the main countries supporting the Lebanese Army, and has provided it over the years with millions of dollars in support, including training thousands of members to secure the land borders.

The army stated in a statement on Monday that the joint exercises, called “Pegasus CEDAR 2026,” aim to “enhance the capabilities of military units and raise the level of coordination between the Lebanese army and friendly armies.”

According to the army, the maneuver includes “reconnaissance and raid training, fighting in built-up areas, helicopter landing operations, and mortar shooting.”

In addition to British soldiers from the Royal Scottish Regiment and elements of the Airborne Regiment in the Lebanese Army, “elements from the armies of the United States and Italy are participating in the training, with elements from the armies of France, Cyprus, Qatar and Jordan joining as observers,” according to what the British embassy announced in a statement on Monday.

She said that the training, which was preceded by a similar exercise in 2023, aims to “strengthen bilateral defense relations and improve operational readiness.”

The Lebanese army, which suffers from a lack of equipment and technical capabilities, faces many challenges in terms of completing its deployment in southern Lebanon, according to a framework agreement concluded by the Lebanese and Israeli governments last June, which stipulated the disarmament of Hezbollah and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the south.

Lebanon calls on the international community to provide additional support for the army so that it can complete its deployment and carry out its tasks.

Following a devastating war that Hezbollah and Israel fought for more than a year, which ended with a ceasefire in November 2024, the Lebanese government approved a plan to disarm Hezbollah, stipulating that weapons be restricted to the hands of legitimate forces, and tasked the army with its implementation. Lebanon subsequently received international promises to support the army to perform its missions.

Starting Monday, very large activities will be launched in Israel to commemorate the events of the Hamas movement’s attack on 21 towns and 11 military sites around the Gaza Strip, which occurred on October 7, three years ago. The Israeli public, which stood united in the face of the attack and supported the government in its fierce response to the Gaza Strip and the expansion of the war to other fronts, finds itself faced with conflicts between opposing camps, each of which highlights something different. The army admits its failures, but adds that it achieved victory over the enemies. The government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, evades any responsibility and accuses the security services of responsibility for the failure, and rejects the broad demand, supported by 63 percent of the public, to establish an official investigation committee with powers. The opposition accuses the government, while independent parties refuse to hold programs in the presence of Netanyahu and his ministers.

The spokesmen for these conflicting movements no longer hide their differences, but they agree on one issue so far, which is highlighting the Jewish pain from what happened, without mentioning the terrible pain that the Palestinians suffered and are suffering as a result of the Israeli retaliation for the October 7 attack.

There is no doubt that there is great pain on the Israeli side, especially in the towns where civilians, men, women, the elderly and the disabled, were killed and wounded. Among these people were people who were famous for their many activities for peace, such as the groups that were concerned with transporting patients from Gaza to Israeli hospitals for treatment, and they were killed without mercy. There are also young people who were participating in the huge “Nova” concert, and their concert turned into a mass tragedy. 374 of them were killed, and dozens were kidnapped to Gaza. There are Arab citizens from the “Palestinians of 1948” who were also killed in the attack, including citizens from the Negev whose homes were bombed by Hamas missiles. There are workers who were working in Jewish towns, including a veiled woman who was killed because she told the attackers, “Shame on you.” “Islam is not like this,” and another who worked as a nurse in an ambulance was killed because he was treating an injured Jew.

But in Israel, there are those who treat this pain as a reality, and document it for history, and there are those who exploit it mercilessly, to make it fuel for hatred, violence, and the promise of eternal war for future generations, and all of this through complete disregard for the Palestinian side, which has been subjected to war crimes, mass murder, and displacement.

Back to October

One of the most prominent sites commemorating the anniversary is the October 7 Museum in the Glilot area, officially known as “Back to October,” a permanent documentary exhibition held within the Meir Amit Israel Intelligence Heritage Center. Although it is still under construction, it has been visited so far by tens of thousands of Israelis (from the age of 16 and above only due to the harsh content displayed in it), and hundreds of foreign delegations of diplomats, generals, and chiefs of staff of armies from various countries of the world.

This museum is located on an area of ​​approximately 600 square metres, and part of it was built underground in concrete spaces that mimic the shape and design of Hamas’ tunnels in Gaza. It consists of several rooms, each of which displays a different story or topic. It begins with the documents and possessions that the Israeli army looted during the occupation of the Gaza Strip and the sites of “Hamas” and “Jihad,” and those that were found with elite fighters affiliated with “Hamas.” These documents include detailed maps of the settlements and handwritten attack plans (including documents and directives belonging to Yahya Al-Sinwar). It also includes weapons and military equipment used in the attack (RPG, Kalashnikov, etc.). There are also vehicles belonging to the Hamas attackers, such as motorcycles and SUVs (Toyota), in addition to cars that were seized from the “Nova” concert site.

In the audio-visual experience section, the museum displays, through interactive technologies and giant screens, a chronology of events according to the Israeli narrative through original videos and audio recordings of the incursions and clashes that took place in the settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip. They are displayed selectively; There are extremely cruel pictures showing amputated limbs, a severed head, and burned bodies... which are only shown to strong people who can bear them.

As a Palestinian Arab who belongs to the people to whom the perpetrators of these crimes belong, you are shocked and afflicted with extreme shame and pain. She leaves with a feeling of concern for the future of future generations. She wonders: How can we get rid of such brutal traditions? But at the same time, you come away with the impression that this museum’s complete disregard for the Israeli response, which was characterized by a “scorched earth” policy, makes the event the beginning, not the end, of a war that is intended to remain an open war for generations.

The exhibition ignores that the two peoples, Israeli and Palestinian, need an objective vision that does not evade reality, but rather presents the two narratives and conducts an honest review of what happened on October 7 and what preceded and followed it. The disaster did not begin on this date only. There is an urgent need to open the door to plans and projects to stop the war, move the people of both peoples to a future in which the blood of both sides is spared, and chart a future for new generations, in which life is the title and peace is the destiny.