In the West Bank, a Palestinian minor arrested for allegedly throwing stones was shot by Israeli soldiers after he attempted to flee blindfolded and handcuffed near Tuqu‘. After Palestinians argued with the Israeli soldiers, they brought the minor to a hospital for treatment. Elsewhere, Israeli forces demolished a house in Hebron belonging to a Palestinian convicted of killing an Israeli settler. Clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians ensued during the demolition; no injuries were reported. Also in Hebron, a group of Israeli settlers broke into a Palestinian family’s home and attacked family members with pepper spray; once they left the home, they attacked a Palestinian bystander. In Qalandia, Israeli forces raided several shops and street vendors, leading to clashes with Palestinians. Israeli forces also patrolled in and around Sabastiyya, warning Palestinians not to obstruct Jewish celebrations in the village scheduled for 4/23. For the 2d time this week, Israeli forces dismantled a residential tent in Susiya, confiscating equipment to raise the tent and leaving a family of 10 homeless. In Gaza, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian fishermen in several separate instances and opened fire on Palestinian farmers working their land in Khuza‘a near Khan Yunis. No injuries were reported. (MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, MNA, WAFA 4/18; MNA, MNA 4/19; HA 4/21; HA 4/23)
The long-awaited “Mueller Report” was released and showed that the Trump transition team, in this effort led by Jared Kushner, lobbied foreign governments to delay or defeat a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Israeli settlements in the West Bank (UNSC Res. 2334) in December 2016. (MDW 4/18)