New spate of violence in occupied Palestinian territories draws outrage

AMMAN — The latest bout of violence in the occupied Palestinian territories has fuelled outrage on social media.

The new wave of violence began when Israeli occupation forces on Thursday killed 10 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. After the Jenin raid, Israel launched air strikes on the besieged Gaza Strip, in response to rocket fire from the strip. Violence also escalated in East Jerusalem.

The new Israeli government, which is widely described as the “most right-wing Israeli government” ever elected, makes Palestinians more susceptible to Israeli incursions and illegal practices.

On Twitter, former secretary general of the Jordanian National Commission for Women Salma Nims wrote: “Armed settlers and settlements are tools of occupation. Please use the same language you use for #Ukraine!”

Twitter user Farah Ghanim shared a video which showed Israeli forces preventing Palestinian ambulances from reaching the injured in Jenin refugee camp.

A Jerusalem-based Twitter user, @JalalAK_jojo, said that the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by “invading colonists” still continues with impunity.

Mick Wallace, member of the European Parliament, criticised the European Union (EU) on Twitter, saying that “the #EU can write [the] 2022 Report on Human Rights + Democracy in the world without mentioning the daily persecution….of Palestinians by the Apartheid State of #Israel”.

Human rights attorney Noura Erakat wrote that the Israeli Cabinet intends this escalation to harm Palestinians with greater impunity and “deflect from its domestic fascist agenda.”

Jareer Kassis said that he did not receive phone alerts from two news outlets to which he is subscribed when Israeli occupation “forces massacred the nine martyrs in Jenin”. 

“I never get such alerts when Palestinians are murdered,” he added.

On Instagram, user @wolpalestine commented: “More Palestinians have been killed in 2023 than there have been days in the year. 31 martyrs in 26 days.”

Jordanian Instagram user Shaima Omar told The Jordan Times that all her friends and herself have shared posts relating to the recent events taking place in Jenin and Jerusalem, in hopes to support Palestinians through online activism.

“It is disgusting how Instagram users who uphold Israeli intrusions and apartheid state are making fun of the families of the deceased. It is simply inhumane,” she told The Jordan Times.