Clash in West Bank, Two Dead

Israeli forces clashed with Palestinians in the West Bank on Monday. Soldiers entered the town of Kafr Dan to demolish three apartments, which belonged to the families of Palestinian radicals who killed an Israeli soldier four months ago.

• According to the Israel Defense Forces (idf), the Palestinians attacked the Israelis first. The Palestinians reportedly fired guns and firebombs on the soldiers.
• According to the idf, “[The soldiers] fired towards militants who had shot at them. Hits were identified.”
• Two Arabs died in the shootout.

Who died? One of the Palestinians killed was Fouad Abed, age 25. Hamas, the terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip, claimed him as a member. The other killed Palestinian was Mohammed Hushiya, 22. Another terrorist group, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, claimed Hushiya. Hamas stated in response it would “pursue resistance and confront the terrorism and fascism of the new occupation government.”

Deadly statistics: At least 146 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in 2022—the most since 2004. Forty-four active-duty idf members died in 2022, the idf announced yesterday. Not all were killed in action; some died in friendly fire or suicide. But this is the biggest death toll for the idf since 2017.

What’s next? We are just a few days into 2023, and Israeli-Palestinian relations are already off to a rocky start. Biblical prophecy tells us to watch Jerusalem closely, as violence there is key to end-time events. Learn more by reading Jerusalem in Prophecy.