Israeli forces conduct raids in occupied East Jerusalem, West Bank

Israeli forces have launched a barrage of raids and arrests in areas of the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem that resulted in clashes and injuries, continuing a round of violence that commenced in May. In Jerusalem, which has in recent months become a flashpoint in the ongoing conflict, dozens of settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday morning under the protection of the occupation forces. Israeli forces raided during the night the homes of two young men in the Bab Al-Amoud area and Salah El-Din Street and arrested one of them, Sa’adi Burqan. In the West Bank town of Azzun, east of Qalqilya, occupation forces arrested resident Tariq Salim in his home. Several other people were injured due to tear gas inhalation during the clashes that erupted in the town. An infantry squad was deployed in the town of Ya'bad, southwest of Jenin, where neighbourhoods were raided and vehicles moved. No arrests were reported. In Beita, south of Nablus, confrontations continued throughout the night in the Jabal Sabih area. For the third fay in a row, settlers have continued to erect tents in Tarqumiyah, northwest of Hebron, with the intent of seizing the land near the settlement of Adora. The land belongs to a Palestinian family, however settlers are attempting to seize it under the pretext that it is state land. According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, settlers have repeatedly attempted to uproot olive trees in the area, which resulted in clashes with Palestinians defending their lands. Human Rights Watch, in an April report, accused Israel of "apartheid". It described "discriminatory laws and policies" that "enable settler and settler organisations to take possession of Palestinian homes". RELATED Israel 'asked US' to apply pressure in Sheikh Jarrah case MENA The New Arab Staff 05 August, 2021 Since 1967, Israeli authorities have expropriated nearly one-third of the land in East Jerusalem from Palestinians, largely via settlements, it said. Rights groups say the forced evictions are part of a broader move to drive Palestinians from their homes, in a city coveted by both sides as their capital, and cement Israeli occupation over the whole of Jerusalem. Israel's Supreme Court is expected on Monday to issue a final ruling on a high-profile Sheikh Jarrah case involving four Palestinian families in the occupied East Jerusalem suburb who face imminent forced eviction to make way for Israeli settlers. The decision, which was initially set for May, was postponed after the attorney general requested more time to study the case and following daily Palestinian protests and sit-ins that were violently dispersed by Israeli forces using tear gas, sound bombs, and rubber bullets.