Palestinians across the occupied West Bank performed Eid al-Fitr prayers on Sunday amid ongoing Israeli military aggression, particularly attacks on refugee camps in the northern region.
Worshippers gathered in mosques and public squares across cities and towns in the occupied West Bank, which continues to face intensified illegal settlement expansion and displacement efforts.
In Jenin refugee camp, northern West Bank, Israeli forces fired tear gas at dozens of families attempting to visit the camp’s cemetery, eyewitnesses told Anadolu. Several civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation and required medical assistance.
Since Jan. 21, Israeli forces have been conducting an extensive military offensive in the northern governorates of Jenin and Tulkarem, involving targeted killings, mass arrests, and the forced eviction of families as homes are turned into military outposts.
Palestinian authorities have warned that the escalating violence is part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s broader plan to annex the occupied West Bank and dismantle any prospects for a two-state solution.
“The Palestinian people are deeply rooted in their land despite the ongoing war and genocide,” Palestinian Religious Minister Mohammad Najm said after performing Eid prayers at Sarda Mosque in Ramallah. “Our people will not leave; this land is ours.”
In Hebron’s historic Ibrahimi Mosque, Palestinian worshippers performed Eid prayers under tight Israeli security measures at checkpoints surrounding the Old City.
Since 1994, Israel has controlled 63% of the mosque, granting only 37% access to Muslim worshippers following a massacre by an illegal Israeli settler that killed 29 Palestinians. The mosque is fully open to Muslims only 10 days a year, including both Eid holidays and religious anniversaries.
The mosque, located in the Israeli-controlled part of Hebron, is believed to house the tombs of Prophets Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq (Isaac), and Yaqub (Jacob).
Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank, where at least 939 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 7,000 injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers since the start of the onslaught on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
In July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s longstanding occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.