Protests against the ongoing Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip have erupted in force in the occupied West Bank since Thursday, ending what has been a government-imposed media blackout on the situation in the West Bank during the ever-escalating Gaza war.
On Thursday night, some 10,000 West Bank protesters tried to make their way to the al-Aqsa Mosque to celebrate an important part of Ramadan. Israel chose to block all men under the age of 50 from the religious commemoration, and troops at a checkpoint killed two.
Friday morning, the protests became tens of thousands, with many again protesting not only the Gaza war, but the Israeli refusal to allow worshipers at al-Aqsa Mosque.
Israel’s military killed a 46-year-old and a 26-year-old near Hebron early in the morning. Not long thereafter, the group of Israeli settlers attacked protesters near Nablus, killing an 18-year-old. The Israeli military again responded in force, arriving at the scene of the settlers killing the young man, and killed another 22-year-old. Two more teens were killed this evening.
Yesterday’s reports that Israel was only firing crowd-control weapons at the crowds of protesters also appear to have gone by the wayside, with the IDF now openly talking of their use of “live ammo” against the civilian protesters.
The settlers who killed the 18 year-old Palestinian- what became of them? Have they been arrested on charges of murder?
Are the soldiers who killed the three civilians on charges as well?
I suspect the answer to all three questions will be a lackluster, "No".