Thousands mourn five Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Nablus raid
Nablus (QNN)- Thousands of Palestinian mourners took part on Tuesday in the funeral procession of five Palestinian youths killed by Israeli forces in a furious military raid into the occupied West Bank city of Nablus early this morning.
The Palestinian mourners were seen gathering in the center of Nablus city to bid a farewell to the five Palestinians killed by Israeli forces gunfire. The five were identified as: Ali Antar, 26; Meshal Baghdadi, 27; Wadee Sobeih El-Houh, 31; Hamdi Sobeih Qaiem, 30; and Hamdi Mohamed Sharaf, 35.
Media coverage| Massive crowds take part in the funeral procession of five Palestinians killed by the Israeli occupation's aggression last night on Nablus, including Wadee El-Houh, a senior member of the Lions Den resistance group. pic.twitter.com/0kS1ElAjG0
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 25, 2022
Media coverage| Tens of thousands are gathering right now in Nablus city center to bid a farewell to five Palestinians killed by the Israeli occupation's aggression on the city last night, including resistance fighter Wadee El-Houh, a senior member of the Lions Den organization. pic.twitter.com/N5bKsc8zBL
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 25, 2022
đ„ Media coverage| Massive crowds take part in the funeral procession of five Palestinians killed by the Israeli occupation's aggression last night on Nablus, including Wadee El-Houh, a senior member of the Lions Den resistance group. pic.twitter.com/K8ysb0Qlvd
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 25, 2022
A general strike and a day of mourning were observed across the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, as the angry residents joined the funeral processions in Nablus.
What Happened?
Local sources reported that large numbers of Israeli occupation forces equipped with around 60 Israeli armoured military vehicles and anti-tank guided missiles raided several neighborhoods in the Nablus city before 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Israeli snipers were positioned on the rooftops of houses and buildings overlooking Nablusâ city centre and used drones to fire missiles. Eyewitnesses reported that the Israeli soldiers surrounded a house where several youths were inside.
The destruction left behind the deadly Israeli attack on the old city of Nablus last night. pic.twitter.com/H1J43uX6a6
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 25, 2022
The forces also bombed a civilian vehicle in the Ras al-Ain area, which resulted in the death of a Palestinian whose charred body arrived at Rafidia Hospital.
Media coverage| The remains of a vehicle which detonated last night as a result of the Israeli onslaught on Nablus, north of the occupied West Bank, in which a Palestinian youth, Hamdi al-Qayyem, was killed and his brother wounded. pic.twitter.com/zHUTM9k3GS
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 25, 2022
In response, armed confrontations erupted in and around the Old City of Nablus, resulting in injuring at least 20 people.
Media coverage| Hundreds of Palestinians gathering outside Rafidia Public Hospital in Nablus chant in support of the novel Lions Den resistance organization, as four Palestinians, including resistance fighter Wadee El-Houh, were announced dead there by Israeli gunfire. pic.twitter.com/NhUFexhM3f
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 25, 2022
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that the Israeli forces prevented its medical crews and ambulances from entering the neighbourhoods to evacuate the injured.
Al-Houh was reportedly a senior and founding member of the newly-formed Nablus-based Lionâs Den group.
Media coverage| Palestinians gathered outside Rafidia Public Hospital in Nablus in support of the Palestinian resistance, as five Palestinians, including Wadee El-Houh, a key member of the Lions Den resistance organization, were announced dead there by Israeli gunfire. pic.twitter.com/uSEXYzV004
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 25, 2022
On Sunday, Palestinian resistance fighter and member of the Lionâs Den group, Tamer Al-Kilani, was assassinated at approximately 1:30 a.m. when an explosive device rigged to a motorcycle parked off a road detonated in Nablusâs Old City when he walked by it. The group accused âIsraelâ of killing its senior member and attaching the explosive device.
It is worth mentioning that Nablus, a home to over 425,000 people spread across four refugee camps, 55 villages, and one city, has been under a strict Israeli siege for 15 consecutive days.
Over the past 14 days, âIsraelâ has shut down Nablus, as the Israeli forces claim it cracks down on the Lionâs Den group.
The Israeli military has closed all eight surrounding military checkpoints to enter and exit Nablus. The forces have also erected dozens more flying checkpoints, and have sealed off a network of side roads across it.
This has come after an Israeli soldier was allegedly killed on October 11 while at a military post outside the Nablus-area town of Deir Sharaf, the Israeli forces embarked on a widespread manhunt for the suspect, who belonged to the Lionâs Den group.
The day after the soldier was killed, the Israeli army announced it would be enforcing widespread closures across Nablus, and enforcing âstrict security checksâ on Palestinians passing in and out of the area.
Over the past 14 days, the forces has invaded Nablus and the surrounding villages raising new checkpoints throughout, increasing night-time military raids and “stop and searches” under the pretext of searching for wanted members of Palestinian resistance groups.
The siege of Nablus has resulted in a virtual halt on life here, bringing with it substantial economic repercussions, not only for Nablus residents but Palestinians across the West Bank.
