OCCUPIED WEST BANK  –  The Israeli military called in reinforcements, as it escalated its assault on the occupied West Bank for a second day.

At least 18 people have been killed since the start of the operation in the north of the territory, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported on Thursday.

Eight people were killed in the Jenin governorate, six in Tulkarem and four in Tubas, while dozens more have been injured.

At least 20 Palestinians, including children, have so far been imprisoned by Israeli forces, according to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, who warned on Thursday that the number could rise as the raids continue.

In the Nur Shams refugee camp, the Israeli military claimed on Thursday that it had killed five Palestinian fighters, who were hiding in a mosque.

Among them was the commander of the Tulkarem Battalion, Mohamed Jaber, also known as Abu Shuja’a, it said. The military said Abu Shuja’a had directed the shooting and killing of an Israeli man in Qalqilya in June.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group confirmed the death of Abu Shuja’a and the other fighters, saying in a statement that they were killed “after a heroic battle against the soldiers of the Israeli occupation”.

The Israeli raids started in the areas of Jenin, Tulkarem and the Far’a refugee camp near Tubas in the largest assault there in 20 years as the military claims to be targeting “armed terrorists who posed a threat to security forces”.

Reporting from Tulkarem, Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim said while the Israeli military has been launching daily attacks on the territory “this one is on a different scale” as its forces “have raided four refugee camps at the same time”.

“There is a lot of fear and anxiety among residents,” she said.

The operations widened overnight to the south of Bethlehem, the Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, Nablus city, and the village of Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah, according to Wafa.

Ibrahim also reported that the escalation comes as “no surprise” to Palestinians “who have seen raids intensify and expand every day since October 7”.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that since Israel’s war on Gaza began on October 7, 136 Palestinians have been killed and 41 injured in Israeli air strikes.

All of the killings, except one, occurred in the occupied West Bank’s northern governorates.

In a statement, Amnesty International condemned Israel’s military assault as a “horrifying spike in lethal force”.

“It is likely that these operations will result in an increase in forced displacement, destruction of critical infrastructure and measures of collective punishment, which have been key pillars of Israel’s system of apartheid against Palestinians and of its unlawful occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty’s senior director for research, advocacy, policy and campaigns.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz had already suggested the forced displacement of Palestinians.

He wrote on X that addressing the threat of “terror infrastructures ” in the Jenin and Tulkarem refugee camps by all necessary means includes “intense combat” and “in some cases … allowing the population to temporarily evacuate from one neighbourhood to another within the refugee camp”.

Israel’s temporary evacuation orders have been repeatedly used in Gaza, displacing tens of thousands of people to so-called “humanitarian safe zones” which are then attacked by the military.

Palestinian rights groups, including the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Al-Haq, and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, warned on Thursday of Israeli tactics in the territory that “mirror” those used in “Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza”. (Al Jazeera)

Photo: Israeli soldiers. (AFP)…[+]

PARAMARIBO – The water station of the Suriname Water Company (SWM) which is located at the William Kraanplein requires a lot of maintenance but it would not be wise to carry out such a big maintenance project in the dry season. The director of the SWM, Clifton Lienga, explained that the water station would be offline for more than a day if such a big maintenance project is carried out. People need water especially in the dry season when the weather is hot. Lienga pointed out that there was a low water pressure in various areas including Paramaribo. This low water pressure was the result of the necessary activities that were conducted at the William Kraanplein. Shortly after the activities were completed, an important main pipe of the SWM which is located at the William Kraanplein broke down. The SWM spared no efforts in addressing the problem. Lienga made it clear that the water station at the William Kraanplein requires thorough maintenance but that the government still has not provided the funds. Despite the setbacks Lienga guaranteed that the SWM would improve water production in Paramaribo and other areas. The SWM will reportedly install new pumps, establish a new water station at Vredenburg Series B and tap into new wells in the Para District…[+]

BEIJING – China’s State Council Information Office on Thursday released a white paper titled “China’s Energy Transition” to document the country’s successful actions and historic achievements in this field over the past decade.

Besides the preface and conclusion, the white paper consists of six parts: “China’s Path of Energy Transition in the New Era,” “Promoting Green Energy Consumption,” “Moving Faster to Build a New Energy Supply System,” “Developing New Quality Productive Forces in the Energy Sector,” “Modernizing Energy Governance,” and “Contributing to a Global Community of Shared Future.”

Over the past decade, China has furthered reform of its energy production and consumption methods, upgraded its energy supply capacity under the guidance of its new energy security strategy, and achieved historic breakthroughs in green and low-carbon energy development, according to the white paper.

The country’s energy intensity has decreased steadily over the past decade, leading to energy savings equivalent to about 1.4 billion tonnes of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 3 billion tonnes, said the white paper, adding that China has become the world’s largest investor in energy transition.

“Based on high-quality development, China’s energy transition aims to build a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient energy system. This initiative will provide a strong guarantee for the country’s economic and social development and meet the people’s growing desire for a better life,” said the white paper.

China’s green energy development has become an engine for global energy transition. Since 2013, China has been responsible for over 40 percent of the annual additions to global renewable energy capacity. In 2023, the newly installed capacity in China accounted for more than half of the world’s total, according to the white paper.

As a strong advocate of global energy transition, China will work with other members of the international community to plan energy cooperation together, address global climate change, promote harmony between humanity and nature, and create a clean and beautiful world for all, the white paper said.         (Xinhua)

Photo: The Chinese and English copies of the white paper titled “China’s Energy Transition” released on the same day at a press conference in Beijing. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai) …[+]                     

The Health Ministry recently condemned the fact that the National Hospital Council (NZR) has decided that as of September 1st patients must pay SRD 50 for the monthly visits to the outpatient clinic and an administration fee of SRD 450 if they are admitted to the hospital. “This decision lacks the approval of the Ministry of Health,” said the Health Ministry which made it clear that it would spare no efforts in making sure that patients do not end up paying the price because of this one-sided decision. The NZR explained that the nation’s insurance companies refuse to cooperate with the hospitals’ request to cover these costs. The Ministry of Health made it clear that the government had nothing to do with this decision and that it hopes that the NZR and the insurance companies will seek other solutions soon. The NZR pointed out that these measures are necessary to cover the overhead costs of the hospitals so that the quality of the healthcare is guaranteed. The patients only have to pay these costs once a month…[+]