Israel-Hamas War Day 226: What's happening in Israel, Gaza?
US calls on Hamas to free hostages • IDF recovers hostage body • Drone lands in northern Israel
Arab truck driver attacked by West Bank settlers who believed he was transporting aid to Gaza
West Bank settlers arrived at the scene to block humanitarian aid they believed to be en route to the Gaza Strip, setting tires on fire, blocking the truck, and injuring the driver.
In the late-night hours between Thursday and Friday last week, Ibrahim al-Razm was working the night shift as a truck driver. While driving in the area of Kochav Hashahar in the West Bank, al-Razm was attacked by settlers who believed he was transporting humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
On Sunday, Ynet reported that al-Razm, from east Jerusalem, remained hospitalized throughout the weekend and continued to receive medical care at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.
As a result of the attack, al-Razm suffered from fractured ribs, a broken nose, and pain throughout his entire body. “I am married and a father of three children, and I have been working as a truck driver for more than ten years. I have never hurt anyone – and I have no such thoughts,” he told Ynet.
Settlers attacked al-Razm by throwing stones and ransacking the truck, KAN News reported. They arrived at the scene to block humanitarian aid that they believed to be en route to the Gaza Strip, setting tires on fire and blocking the truck. The truck, the report noted, was not carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Incident among a string of other attacks
Such attacks and disruptions have become common as right-wing activists keep attempting to block humanitarian aid from reaching the Gaza Strip, and this incident occurred days after aid trucks heading towards Gaza were ransacked by protesters, according to Reuters.
Go to the full article >>Israelis torch Palestinian vehicles after attacking trucks in West Bank - report
Israelis torched Palestinian vehicles in the town of Yatma near Nablus on Sunday evening, shortly after attacking Palestinian trucks nearby that they thought were carrying aid to Gaza, according to Israeli and Palestinian reports.
פעילי ימין חסמו משאית פלסטינית סמוך לצומת תפוח ופרקו ציוד שהיה עליה בטענה שמדובר במשאית סיוע עם ציוד הומניטרי לעזה. צה"ל: "לא תואמה העברת משאית סיוע בזמן הזה ובכביש הזה לרצועה"@hod_barel pic.twitter.com/s32qRgx1iT
— גלצ (@GLZRadio) May 19, 2024
The IDF told Army Radio that no aid trucks were scheduled to drive through the area at the time. Rioters have targeted several trucks in the past week, thinking they were carrying aid for Israel, although it later turned out that they were not doing so.
عاجل| تغطية صحفية: مستوطنون يحرقون مركبات فلسطينية في قرية يتما، جنوب نابلس. pic.twitter.com/8XpIx1yrgI
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) May 19, 2024
Go to the full article >>
Shots fired near Israeli vehicle in northern West Bank - report
Shots were fired near an Israeli vehicle near the Tapuach Junction in the northern West Bank on Sunday evening, according to initial reports. No injuries were reported.
Go to the full article >>Multiple hostile aircraft sirens sound in the Golan Heights
Sirens have sounded in Israel's Golan Heights following multiple hostile aircraft intrusion alerts on Sunday evening.
No reports of causalities or property damage have been reported.
Biden: 'Working to make sure we finally get a two-state solution' for Israelis and Palestinians
US President Joe Biden, while speaking at a commencement address, stressed that he is working not only for a ceasefire but to build sustainable peace in the region.
The United States is working to put in place a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, US President Joe Biden said during a commencement address Sunday at Morehouse College in Georgia.
“I'm working to make sure we finally get a two-state solution, the only solution for two people,” he said.
Go to the full article >>Ex-Air Force chief: Israeli air defense must adopt new strategies, invest in laser defense
The future threats and the cost of the arms race with Jerusalem’s adversaries require adopting a new and forward-looking strategy.
Israel must move its air defense toward integrating lasers with its aircraft to maximize the flexibility and interoperability of fighter jets to act both on offense and defense, former Air Force chief David Ivri said on Sunday.
Speaking at a Tel Aviv University Conference on air defense following Hamas’s October 7 invasion and Iran’s April 14 massive aerial attack, Ivri complained that Israel has not sufficiently invested in and prioritized laser defense.
Go to the full article >>35,456 Palestinians killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, Hamas-run health ministry says
At least 35,456 Palestinians have been killed, and 79,476 have been wounded in Israel's military operation in Gaza since Oct. 7, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
Smotrich suggests IDF enter Lebanon, establish security zone if Hezbollah continues firing
If Hezbollah would continue firing after such an ultimatum, Smotrich said the IDF should launch a defensive attack deep in Lebanese territory, including a ground entry.
Finance Minister and Chairman of Religious Zionism Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday called for a permanent presence of the IDF in the entire Gaza Strip, total military occupation of the city of Rafah, and called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to issue an ultimatum to Hezbollah to stop firing on the North.
He made this statement at a party meeting in the North, where he called on Netanyahu to set a long-term security policy that would bring Israel long-term security and victory.
He called on the cabinet to institute a permanent presence of the IDF in the entire Gaza Strip and take full control of the territory. "Instead of discussing withdrawal from the Nitzarim corridor, more outposts and control lines need to be established in the north, center, and south of the Gaza Strip to prevent a situation where Hamas can restore its military infrastructure and civilian control once forces leave."
Go to the full article >>Attempted stabbing attack near Abu Dis, forces neutralize terrorist
A terrorist attempted to stab Border Police near Abu Dis at a West Bank checkpoint on Sunday morning.
Border Police officers stationed at the crossing fired at the terrorist and neutralized him.
There are no casualties reported among Israeli forces.
Go to the full article >>Hostile aircraft intrusion sirens sound in northern Israel
Hostile aircraft intrusion sirens sounded again in northern Israel on Sunday morning.
More such sirens sounded in the North just before noon, Israel time.
Israel-Hamas war: What you need to know
- Hamas launched a massive attack on October 7, with thousands of terrorists infiltrating from the Gaza border and taking some 240 hostages into Gaza.
- Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were murdered, including over 350 in the Re'im music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities
- 129 hostages remain in Gaza
- 39 hostages in total have been killed in captivity, IDF says