Israeli Military Operations in Tulkarm: Impact and Rising Tensions

Aftermath of Israeli Raid in Tulkarm

Residents of Tulkarm, located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, are currently assessing the extensive damage inflicted during a two-day military operation by Israeli forces. As tensions rise, there are growing concerns that the violence with Palestinian militant groups could escalate further. In the Nur Shams neighborhood, which was heavily targeted during the raid, Israeli bulldozers have destroyed large sections of the roads, leaving many homes without access to running water, according to Suleiman Zuhairi, a retired official of the Palestinian Authority.

Meanwhile, Israeli troops have continued their operations, which began overnight on Wednesday, in the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank. Recent incidents occurring farther south have intensified fears of an escalation in violence. Late on Friday night, a car explosion at a gas station near a significant junction between Jerusalem and Hebron resulted in injuries to three Israeli soldiers, as reported by Israeli authorities. The military also indicated that another assailant was killed while attempting to launch an attack on the settlement of Karmei Tzur.

Since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 individuals in Israel and triggered an ongoing war in Gaza, Israeli officials have expressed apprehension about a similar assault emerging from the occupied West Bank, where around three million Palestinians live under Israeli military governance. In response, the Israeli military has intensified its raids in the area, aiming to prevent potential threats and has arrested thousands in the process.

The military claims that its current operations are specifically targeting strongholds of Palestinian armed groups. According to Israeli officials, over the past year, more than 150 shooting and explosive attacks against Israelis have been orchestrated from the Jenin and Tulkarm regions. The United Nations reports that since October, clashes with Israeli soldiers and civilians have resulted in the deaths of over 600 Palestinians in the West Bank.

On Friday, residents of Tulkarm held a funeral procession in absentia for Muhammad Jaber, a militant commander who was killed during the raid. His family revealed that Israeli authorities are still in possession of Mr. Jaber’s body. Known as Abu Shujaa, Mr. Jaber had become a revered figure in the Nur Shams neighborhood for his resistance against Israeli forces. The Israeli military accused him of involvement in “numerous terror attacks.”

A relative, Neyaz Zendiq, shared that he had spent the past few days confined in his home in Nur Shams with his family, seeking safety. Tragically, Mr. Zendiq’s son Jihad was killed during a separate Israeli raid in June. Mr. Zendiq described Mr. Jaber as a beloved figure among the camp’s residents, stating, “He didn’t accept the humiliation,” referring to the ongoing Israeli occupation.

However, Mr. Zuhairi, the former Palestinian Authority official, noted that the residents of the camp, in their quest for a leader, have transformed Mr. Jaber into an “icon of struggle,” attributing to him a reputation that greatly surpasses his actual involvement in militant activities.