Israel starts warfare in occupied West Bank
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Monday, around 1,000 Israeli soldiers, supported by drone strikes, launched a major military operation in the occupied West Bank, targeting a militant “command center” in Jenin. This marked the most extensive Israeli military operation in the West Bank in two decades. The operation is centered on the densely populated Jenin camp, which hosts Palestinians.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least eight people were killed and 80 injured, with 17 in critical condition. Additionally, another Palestinian was shot and killed by soldiers near the city of Ramallah while protesting the Jenin attack.
Israeli officials sent text messages to residents, warning them to stay inside for their protection, and separate messages directed at militants advised them to “surrender yourself for your safety and the safety of those around you”.
Gunfire, drones, and explosions were reported throughout the day by Jenin residents and in videos posted on social media.
The use of air power and a brigade-size force in the assault represents a significant military escalation in the northern West Bank, which has been targeted by frequent commando-style Israeli raids this year. The clashes have grown more intense in recent months, including a firefight in Jenin on June 19 that killed five Palestinians. This is the first time Israel has used air power in the West Bank since the second intifada in the early 2000s.
The densely populated and impoverished Jenin camp, known as a hub for Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other armed factions, is largely unpoliced by Palestinian Authority security forces. Militants there have deployed roadside explosives and last week attempted to fire a crude rocket into Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a rocket launcher and hundreds of improvised explosive devices were confiscated by troops on Monday.
Israeli officials said the offensive was meant to decisively confront the city’s long-time role as a base of militant operations.
According to the IDF, at least 50 attacks on Israeli citizens in recent months were launched from Jenin, and 19 people participating in those assaults fled to the camp afterward.
The Israeli attacks destroyed what the IDF said was a militant command center that served as a hub of planning, weapons storage, and communications. The building was surrounded by residential blocks and several facilities used by the United Nations agency responsible for aiding Palestinian refugees.
Israeli officials publicly assured that they were not directing the attacks at the Palestinian Authority, which has security control of that section of the West Bank under the terms of the 1990s Oslo Accords. However, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the attacks “a new war crime against our defenseless people.”
Rival militant groups throughout the occupied territories expressed defiance. “The resistance in all arenas will not allow the enemy to invade our people in Jenin or to single them out,” a coalition of factions in Gaza said in a statement. Meanwhile, Egypt and Jordan, Arab neighbors that have relations with Israel, condemned the operation and called on the international community to intervene.
In conclusion, the significant military escalation in the West Bank since the second intifada has put the already volatile region on edge. The latest operation in Jenin, which caused loss of life and destruction, has raised concerns among Palestinians and the international community and could lead to further violence and instability.