One person was killed and at least 34 were injured after Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian property in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday and Wednesday, a Palestinian official said.
The Palestinian health ministry said that the person who was killed was brought to hospital with gunshot wounds to the chest.
Palestinian news agency Wafa reported overnight attacks on homes, 140 cars and shops. Incidents were reported at locations to the north of the West Bank capital Ramallah, the flashpoint northern town of Hawara and several other sites.
More than 50 vehicles and 30 homes were set on fire on Wednesday, Wafa reported. It added that tear gas canisters were also fired at homes by Israeli forces.
The outbreak of settler violence comes after Palestinian gunmen killed four Israelis near the settlement of Eli on Tuesday afternoon, an attack claimed by Gaza-based militant group Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently declared that “all options are open”.
There have been widespread Palestinian reports that Israeli troops witnessed the attacks without making any attempt to prevent them.
Israeli outlet Ynet news reported that three Israelis were arrested.
Palestinian news agency Wafa also said that a 12-year-old Palestinian boy was severely injured by settlers when he was attacked travelling home on his bike.
The news draws parallels with a deadly settler rampage in Hawara in February, which came in the aftermath of a gun attack that killed two Israeli brothers near by.
Settlers were reported to have opened fire at Palestinians in the town overnight.
A group also set up camp at the illegal West Bank outpost of Evyatar, which for years has been a source of tension between settlers and the Israeli military, who frequently block attempts to resettle the area.
Politician Zvi Sukkot of the far-right Religious Zionist Party, part of Israel's ruling coalition, declared: “We've returned home to Evyatar … terrorists should know that any attack will only deepen the Jewish hold on the territory.”
A growing number of Israeli politicians are calling for a widespread military operation in the West Bank, despite critics saying such a move would achieve little against a wave of attacks carried out not by organised Palestinian militant groups, but disparate bands of disillusioned young men.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a longtime advocate for the settler movement, called for such a move as well as a return to targeted Israeli assassinations from the air and a law to allow the death penalty for terrorists.
Tensions rocketed in the region after an Israeli raid on the Palestinian city of Jenin on Monday, which led to the deaths of seven Palestinians and more than 90 injuries. Eight Israeli soldiers were also injured.
The Palestinian Health Ministry says that 174 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army in Palestinian territories since the start of the year.
Palestinian attacks in Israel and the West Bank have killed 24 people in 2023.
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Match info
Huddersfield Town 0
Chelsea 3
Kante (34'), Jorginho (45' pen), Pedro (80')
