Israel Launches Military Operation in Jenin, West Bank Amid Escalating Conflict

Israel Launches Large-Scale Military Operation in the West Bank

On Wednesday, Israel initiated a significant military operation in the occupied West Bank, resulting in the deaths of at least nine Palestinians and effectively sealing off the tense city of Jenin. This operation is part of Israel’s ongoing campaign of near-daily raids across the West Bank, which have intensified since the Hamas attacks on October 7 of the previous year. These attacks have since sparked a protracted conflict in Gaza, leading to the loss of tens of thousands of lives.

Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani reported that “large forces” had entered Jenin, a city known for its history as a militant stronghold, along with operations in Tulkarem and the Al-Faraa refugee camp. According to Shoshani, all nine fatalities were identified as militants, with three killed in an airstrike in Tulkarem and four in a separate airstrike in Al-Faraa. Additionally, five suspected militants were apprehended during the raids. Shoshani emphasized that these operations are merely the first phase of a broader strategy aimed at thwarting potential attacks on Israeli civilians.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz likened the situation in the West Bank to that in Gaza and advocated for similar military measures to be enacted there. “We must confront this threat with the same resolve we apply to dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza,” Katz stated on the social media platform X. He suggested that this might include the temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents and any necessary steps to ensure Israeli security. However, Shoshani noted that there are currently no plans to evacuate civilians from the area.

‘Serious Escalation’ Leaves Jenin Surrounded

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that seven bodies were transferred to a hospital in Tubas, while two others were brought to a facility in Jenin. Among the deceased were identified individuals: Qassam Jabarin, 25, and Asem Balout, 39. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned the Israeli raids, labeling them a “serious escalation,” and urged the United States to intervene in the situation, as reported by the official Palestinian news agency.

In response, Palestinian militant factions stated that they were engaged in exchanges of gunfire with Israeli forces. Kamal Abu al-Rub, the governor of Jenin, reported on Palestinian radio that Israeli troops had effectively surrounded the city, blocking all entry and exit points, restricting access to hospitals, and damaging infrastructure within the refugee camp.

The Palestinian Health Ministry indicated that Israeli forces had obstructed roads leading to medical facilities with dirt barriers and had surrounded other hospitals in Jenin. Shoshani further explained that the military’s objective is to prevent militants from seeking refuge in medical facilities.

Hamas has called upon Palestinians in the West Bank to rise against these military actions, asserting that the raids are part of a wider plan to escalate the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The militant group accused the United States of exacerbating tensions through its support of Israel and urged security forces aligned with the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which collaborates with Israel, to “join the sacred battle of our people.”

Related Developments

• The EU’s foreign policy chief has called for a three-day ceasefire to help combat the spread of polio in Gaza.
• The ICC prosecutor maintains that the court has the authority to issue warrants for Israeli leaders implicated in actions related to Gaza.

Since the onset of the conflict in Gaza over ten months ago, at least 652 Palestinians in the West Bank have lost their lives due to Israeli military actions, with the majority occurring during raids that often lead to exchanges of gunfire with militants. Israel contends that these operations are essential for dismantling Hamas and other militant groups to prevent attacks on Israeli citizens, which have also surged since the war’s beginning.

Israel has controlled the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem since the Six-Day War in 1967. The Palestinians, along with much of the international community, envision these territories as integral parts of a future Palestinian state. However, Israel has established settlements throughout the West Bank, now home to over 500,000 Jewish settlers who possess Israeli citizenship, while the approximately 3 million Palestinians in the West Bank live under Israeli military governance, with the Palestinian Authority exercising limited authority over certain population centers.