Friday, October 2 — Today’s developments only
Gaza City: Palestinian local sources report that Ibrahim Munir al-Masri was killed and another person wounded when an Israeli strike hit a gathering west of Gaza City around Friday prayers. At the time of writing, I have not yet found independent confirmation of al-Masri’s identity from a major wire service.
Khan Younis: Three Palestinians — including an elderly woman and a child — were injured by Israeli fire. Israeli strikes were also reported around eastern Gaza City, including near Shuja’iyya and al-Tuffah, alongside demolitions northeast and east of the city.
🫒 Nablus: The opening of the olive harvest became another flashpoint. In Beita, Israeli settlers fired live ammunition toward Palestinian olive pickers while Israeli forces used tear gas and stun grenades and forced farmers from their land. Several people suffered tear-gas inhalation; no gunshot casualties were reported. Reuters photographs from today also show Israeli soldiers forcing Palestinians and foreign activists out of Palestinian-owned olive groves in Beita.
Settler attacks were also reported around Urif, Jamma’in and Asira al-Qibliya. In Iraq Burin, settlers attacked a Palestinian home, smashed a vehicle and attempted to enter the house before residents confronted them.
Burqa: Israeli forces raided the town before dawn and arrested Mohammad Bassam Salah, Laith Mohammad al-Marwan Abu Omar and Mohammad Bahaa Abdul-Majid Daghlas after searching their homes.
Local reports additionally say farmers from Burqa and Beit Imrin were prevented from harvesting olives around the al-Dalba area and ordered away from the land. The specific reported 1,000-metre exclusion order has not yet appeared in the reliable published sources I could verify.
Salfit: Israeli forces and settlers prevented farmers from reaching olive groves in Deir Istiya, Farkha and Haris; three farmers were detained while harvesting near Haris.
Bethlehem: Settlers damaged Palestinian-owned olive trees in the Abu Njeim area southeast of Bethlehem.
The picture today is therefore not limited to Gaza: Israeli military fire, raids and restrictions have coincided with settler attacks and the obstruction of Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest across several West Bank districts.