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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Palestinian fighters call for 'days of rage' as civil disobedience observed over camp blockade</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">By Shatha Hammad in Ramallah, occupied Palestine October 12, 2022<br></div>
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<div><img src="cid:ii_l968r8ik4" alt="image.png" width="393" height="267"><br><p><a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/israel" target="_blank">Israeli</a> forces killed a <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/countries/palestine" target="_blank">Palestinian</a>
on Wednesday as hundreds of people observed a day of civil disobedience
in solidarity with a Jerusalem refugee camp that has been under Israeli
lockdown for five days. </p>
<p>A general commercial strike was held in occupied East Jerusalem and
the West Bank, as hundreds of people joined protests against the recent
escalation by Israeli forces. </p>
<p>Osama Adawi, 18, was shot dead in the abdomen by Israeli troops in
the al-Aroub camp in Hebron, the Palestinian health ministry said.</p>
<p><em>Translation: Osama Mahmoud Adawi (18 years old) who was shot dead by the occupation in Al-Aroub refugee camp, north of Hebron.</em></p>
<p>The strikes were called for by residents of Shuafat camp in East
Jerusalem, who have been trapped in by Israeli authorities since
Saturday, and a newly formed armed group in the West Bank named the
Lion's Den.</p>
<p>The announcement by the Nablus-based fighters came after they claimed
responsibility for an attack on an Israeli army post near a settlement
on Tuesday that left one soldier dead.</p>
<p>The group called for "days of rage" against the Israeli occupation in
a statement and urged citizens to join in strikes and protests near
Israeli checkpoints. </p>
<p>At the same time, Shuafat residents announced late on Tuesday that
they will mark a day of civil obedience to protest against Israeli
measures imposed upon them, which have been described as "collective
punishment". </p>
<blockquote>
<p>'The crimes of the occupation, in the continuous expansion of
settlements and killings, leave us Palestinians with no other choice but
to continue to defend ourselves and our lives'</p>
<p><em>- Omar Assaf, Palestinian Democratic Grouping</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The Wednesday strike, unlike previous ones observed in Palestine, is
seen as a significant event by some observers because it was called for
by a small armed group and families in Shuafat, rather than organised
political or civil groups, who normally lead such initiatives.</p>
<p>Omar Assaf, a member of the Palestinian Democratic Grouping, told
Middle East Eye that the positive nationwide response to the civil
disobedience call indicates widespread support for armed resistance and
an eagerness for new leadership away from the Ramallah-based Palestine
Authority. </p>
<p>"The crimes of the occupation, in the continuous expansion of
settlements and killings, leave us Palestinians with no other choice but
to continue to defend ourselves and our lives," Assaf said.</p>
<p>"What we are witnessing today in the West Bank confirms the
Palestinian people's willingness to continue working for their cause,
but the problem is the absence of a Palestinian leadership capable of
capitalising on this." </p>
<h3>Israeli lockdown </h3>
<p>Tensions this week escalated on Saturday night.</p>
<p>People in Shuafat camp, located just two kilometres from Jerusalem's
Old City, have been besieged in the neighbourhood since Saturday
evening, after an Israeli soldier was fatally shot at a checkpoint
leading to the camp. </p>
<p>Shuafat is one of the most overcrowded camps in Palestine. It is home
to almost 140,000 refugees - and their descendants - who were displaced
from historic Palestine by Zionist paramilitary groups in 1948, to make
way for Israel's creation. </p>
<p>It is the only refugee camp that lies within Jerusalem's municipal
boundaries, but is located on the other side of the Israeli separation
wall from the majority of the city. Almost 90 percent of its residents
have Jerusalem resident IDs that are different from Israeli or
Palestinian Authority citizenship. </p>
<p>Israeli forces identified a suspect in the Saturday shooting as a
22-year-old Palestinian resident of the area, who is believed to be
hiding inside the camp. </p>
<p>A strict closure was then imposed on the camp in which no one could
go in and out. This has left many Palestinians unable to reach hospitals
for critical health treatments.</p>
<p>Education within the camp has also been suspended and shops are now
dealing with a lack of basic supplies, including milk and flour. </p>
<div>
<p><img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/2022-10-12T155029Z_1779278874_RC2QZW9U1DCP_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-VIOLENCE-min.jpg" alt="Israeli officers wield their weapons at Palestinians in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem 12 October 2022 (Reuters)" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="393" height="262"></p>
Israeli officers brandish their weapons at Palestinians in
the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem, on 12 October 2022 (Reuters)</div>
<p><span><img src="cid:ii_l968owlx0" alt="image.gif" width="15" height="15"></span></p>
<p>Additionally, Israeli soldiers have since raided the camp frequently,
violently dispersing protests, raiding homes and making several
arrests.</p>
<p>The Israeli-run Jerusalem municipality has also failed to send waste
collectors to the camp, causing garbage to fill the streets, a Shuafat
resident told MEE. </p>
<p>The municipality also said it would close a major bakery belonging to
the Tamimi family - from whom Israeli forces believe the suspect hails -
even though it serves nearly 30,000 Palestinians, according to one
resident. </p>
<p>The closure has been criticised as "collective punishment" by many Palestinian human rights advocates.</p>
<h3>Civil disobedience </h3>
<p>The camp's residents gathered late on Tuesday and decided on a number of measures to counter the Israeli restrictions. </p>
<p>They announced a day of civil disobedience and encouraged
Palestinians across Jerusalem to join them in protests and strikes.
Their statement was read through mosque loudspeakers and printed and
distributed around the city. </p>
<p>Suhaib Masalmeh, an activist from Shuafat, said the commitment to the
strike call on Wednesday was "remarkable to see. The response has been
great by the residents, everyone seems to have complied," he told Middle
East Eye. </p>
<p>Masalmeh said that when residents presented their demands to the army
in a piece of paper, a soldier tore it up and told them the closures
would only be lifted if the suspected shooter in Saturday's attack was
handed over. </p>
<div>
<p><img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/266A9544.jpg" alt="A commercial strike was observed across Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem on 12 October 2022 (MEE/Latifeh Abdellatif)" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="393" height="262"></p>
A commercial strike was observed across Palestinian cities
in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem on 12 October 2022
(MEE/Latifeh Abdellatif)</div>
<p><span><img src="cid:ii_l968owm01" alt="image.gif" width="15" height="15"></span>Nonetheless,
hundreds of the camp's residents organised a march early on Wednesday,
made up mostly of women and students, which was attacked and dispersed
by Israeli forces. </p>
<p>Many young men spread across the camp's entrances and set up mounds to prevent vehicles from moving around. </p>
<p>Masalmeh added that around 35,000 workers from the camp, who have
jobs with Israeli companies in Jerusalem, have also joined the strike,
crippling businesses across the city. </p>
<p>Some 600 drivers from Shuafat who work for the Israeli Egged Public
Transportation Company did not report for duty on Wednesday, causing
disruption to their operations, according to Masalmeh. </p>
<h3>West Bank heeds the call </h3>
<p>Outside the camp, the civil disobedience call reverberated across Jerusalem and beyond. </p>
<p>Protests and strikes were reported in the neighbourhoods of Issawiya
and Beit Hanina, as the Old City looked like a ghost town, with shops
shuttered for the day. </p>
<p>In the West Bank, many cities, schools and universities heeded the
call, especially after the Lion's Den group issued a statement calling
for an escalation against the Israeli occupation. </p>
<div>
<p><img src="https://www.middleeasteye.net/sites/default/files/266A9593.jpg" alt="Israeli forces walk through Jerusalem's Old City which looked like a ghost town as shop owners observed the day of disobedience on 12 October 2022 (MEE/Latifeh Abdellatif)" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="393" height="262"></p>
Israeli forces walk through Jerusalem's Old City as shop
owners observe the day of disobedience, on 12 October 2022 (MEE/Latifeh
Abdellatif)</div>
<p><span><img src="cid:ii_l968owm22" alt="image.gif" width="15" height="15"></span></p>
<p><span><img src="cid:ii_l968owm43" alt="image.gif" width="15" height="15"></span>In
its statement, the group said, "We call for burning tyres, setting up
barricades, and closing streets to send a clear message that the people
are rallying around the resistance and those persecuted in Jerusalem." </p>
<p>Nablus, where the armed group is based, had endured Israeli closures late on Tuesday, similar to those imposed on Shuafat. </p>
<p>Checkpoints and roads leading to the city were closed, imposing
strict restrictions on movements in and out, hours after an Israeli
soldier was killed by fighters who are believed to have fled back to the
city.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>'The state of the resistance that exists today reflects an awareness
among fighters who are engaging the Israeli army in small but effective
attacks'</p>
<p><em>- Khaled Dwaikat, Unified Palestinian Movement</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Khaled Dwaikat, a member of the Unified Palestinian Movement, said
the tactics used by armed Palestinians in the West Bank against Israeli
targets indicate a new strategy.</p>
<p>"The state of the resistance that exists today reflects an awareness
among fighters who are engaging the Israeli army in small but effective
attacks," he told MEE.</p>
<p>"They realise that it's better for them to avoid large-scale confrontations like in the Second Intifada." </p>
<p>At least four Israeli soldiers have been killed by Palestinian
fighters since May, amid a growing armed resistance in the West Bank. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, more than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli
fire this year, including 50 in the Gaza Strip and at least 110 in the
West Bank and East Jerusalem. The death toll in the West Bank is the
highest recorded in a single year since 2015.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, Israeli troops violently dispersed protests in several
areas in the West Bank, including the Dheisheh camp in Bethlehem, the
northern entrance of al-Bireh city, al-Aroub camp in Hebron and Sebastia
village in Nablus, among others.</p>
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