Israeli Demolishes Monument to Yasser Arafat that was built in honour of former President of the Palestinian Authority, who died on 11 November, 2004.
Israeli forces also demolished another West Bank statue in October in the shape of a horse made from the remains of dismantled ambulances in Jenin.
Israeli forces continue to raid the area, as well as airstrikes and their ground operation in the Gaza strip.
Scholars say the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage during conflict can constitute a war crime, reports Al Jazeera.
The move followed clashes between Palestinian gunmen and Israeli soldiers, which left seven militants dead.
Watch – Israeli Demolish Monument to Yasser Arafat
Al Jazeera shared the video and wrote: “This is the moment an Israeli bulldozer destroyed a memorial to former Palestinian president Yasser Arafat in the occupied West Bank. Scholars say the deliberate destruction of cultural heritage during conflict can constitute a war crime.”
Yasser Arafat
Yasser Arafat (1929–2004) was a Palestinian political leader and the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Born in Cairo, Egypt, Arafat played a significant role in the Palestinian nationalist movement.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Arafat became involved in the struggle for Palestinian self-determination and the establishment of a Palestinian state. He co-founded Fatah, a political and military organization, in the late 1950s, and later became the head of the PLO in 1969. The PLO was recognized by the United Nations as the representative of the Palestinian people.
Arafat is perhaps best known for his leadership during the Arab-Israeli conflicts, particularly the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He led the PLO in various armed struggles and was involved in both diplomatic and militant efforts to advance the Palestinian cause. Arafat was a controversial figure, admired by many Palestinians for his resistance against Israeli occupation but criticized by others for his tactics and leadership style.
In 1993, Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed the Oslo Accords, a set of agreements intended to pave the way for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Arafat received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 along with Rabin and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres for their efforts to create peace in the Middle East.
After the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Arafat served as its president from 1994 until his death in 2004. He died in a French military hospital, and the exact cause of his death remains a subject of debate and speculation.
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