Israel launches new West Bank raids as settlers storm al-Aqsa Mosque compound

Israeli forces carried out raids across the occupied West Bank on Monday, while settlers stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque compound and religious sites in Nablus.

Israeli forces carried out raids in the town of Turmus Qyya and the village of Kadr Malik north of Ramallah, as well as the city of Al-Bireh, where Israeli forces fired live rounds and tear gas, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

A child was shot and injured during a raid on the Jalazone refugee camp, north of Ramallah, on Sunday evening, as well as incursions into the village of Husan, west of Bethlehem.

The governor of Tulkarem governate, Abdallah Kamil, told AFP that Israel is set to demolish 25 residential buildings in the Nur Shams refugee camp. 

The demolition work is set to be carried out on 18 December, according to Faisal Salama, head of the popular committee for Tulkarem refugee camp, also speaking with AFP. The Tulkarem refugee camp lies near Nur Shams. 

Dozens of settlers also stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem under the protection of Israeli police, as well as religious sites in the town of Awarta south of Nablus.

This comes amid continued demands by extremist Israeli groups for the destruction of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest in Islam, in order to build a Jewish temple on the site.

Israeli settlers also attacked the village of Khan al-Ahmar and opened fire on the homes of its Palestinian residents.

Amid the continued attacks in the occupied West Bank, Israel has continued its violations in Gaza, with reports of Israeli raids across the coastal enclave in the early hours of Monday morning.

This includes air raids on the eastern areas of Gaza City, shelling in Bureij refugee camp, and airstrikes and artillery targeting Khan Younis, according to The New Arab's Arabic language sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Much of Gaza's infrastructure has been decimated by Israel's war on the enclave, with Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defence, saying that 90 per cent of buildings in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood are in danger of collapsing.

The continued violations come after Israel carried out an airstrike targeting Raed Saed, a senior commander in Hamas, on Saturday, with the group's chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya warning that the continued attacks threaten the ceasefire.

In recent weeks, negotiators have been trying to shift Gaza's ceasefire to its second phase, with the US set to host a conference in Doha on Tuesday regarding the planned deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to the enclave.

The force is a key part of Trump's ceasefire deal that ended Israel's war on Gaza, which will also see the setting up of an administration to govern the territory instead of Hamas.

Editor's note: This story has been updated on 15 December, 14:00 GMT, with details about Israeli demolitions in the Nur Shams refugee camp.