Khalida Jarrar Arrested in West Bank as Israel Continues its war on Gaza

As Israel continues its bombing campaign of the Gaza strip, it scaled up repressive attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. Violent and intensified Israeli military raids were carried out in the last 24 hours across the occupied West Bank, in cities such as Tulkarm, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, among other places, resulting in the killings of at least three Palestinians and injuries to dozens of others.

At least 55 Palestinians have reportedly also been arrested, including a number of well known and prominent Palestinian civil society figures and politicians, such as former parliamentarian and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Khalida Jarrar.

In response to the arrests, the PFLP wrote in a statement that the arrests constitute “a retaliatory attack against our people and their leaders who adopt both clear and principled positions, in a desperate and failed attempt to empty the West Bank of any national or political mobilization movement.” They added that “targeting influential Palestinian leaders will not break the will of our people or the resistance, will not create security and security for the occupation and its settlers, and will lead to adverse results for the Zionist entity.”

Over 305 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank so far since Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7 this year, with close to 3,500 Palestinians injured. Close to 4,800 Palestinians have also been arrested in the large-scale, months-long campaign of violence and persecution that the Israeli security forces have waged against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank who have expressed solidarity and staged protests in support of their fellow Palestinians in Gaza in the aftermath of the Israeli war.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza from Israel’s genocidal war has climbed up to at least 20,915. Close to 55,000 Palestinians have been injured as Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks continue across Gaza for the 81st consecutive day. Indiscriminate Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours and over the Christmas holiday weekend killed hundreds of Palestinians, with 250 reportedly killed just since December 25.

More than 100 were killed in an airstrike on the Maghazi refugee camp on Christmas Eve, December 24, now dubbed the Christmas Eve massacre.

Airstrikes on December 26 also targeted the headquarters of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), causing massive damage to the upper floor of the building. The Israeli military continues to target healthcare and medical facilities in Gaza despite repeated warnings and appeals from human rights groups, aid agencies and the United Nations that the healthcare system in Gaza is in extremely dire condition and on the verge of collapse. The World Health Organization described the situation as “carnage”, which has brought the healthcare system in Gaza “to its knees.”