At Least Ten Palestinians killed as Israeli Forces Launch Major Operation in Jenin
Israel continued its military operation in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin for a second day, killing at least ten people, the military said on Wednesday, as Palestinian sources reported that Israeli troops also injured dozens.
Nearly 40 were also injured by Israeli forces during a major operation in the Jenin area in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry says.
Palestinian media reported that on Tuesday there were several air strikes as a large number of troops entered the city and its refugee camp, backed by drones, helicopters and armoured bulldozers.
Israel’s prime minister said it launched an “extensive and significant” operation to “defeat terrorism” in Jenin, long seen as a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups.
It comes three days after the start of a ceasefire in Gaza and highlights the threat of more violence in the West Bank, where suspected Israeli settlers also went on the rampage on Monday night.
Palestinian security personnel reportedly withdrew from some of their positions around Jenin refugee camp before the Israeli forces moved in.
Palestinian news agencies, later cited local sources as saying that Israeli forces were “completely besieging” Jenin camp, and that armoured bulldozers had dug up several streets.
The director of Jenin’s Government hospital, Dr Wissam Bakr, also told the agency that three doctors and two nurses were among those wounded by Israeli gunfire.
On Wednesday, Jenin’s governor said Israeli forces had “bulldozed all the roads leading to Jenin camp, and leading to Jenin Government hospital”.
According to Dr Bakr, earth mounds were blocking the entrances to the hospital, making it difficult to enter and leave, and preventing ambulance crews from reaching it.
The Israeli military said it was checking the reports.
According to reports, most of those killed were civilians.
However, the Israeli military and Shin Bet security service said on Wednesday that they had “hit over 10 terrorists” during the operation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the Jenin operation – dubbed “Iron Wall” – was an “additional step in achieving the objective we have set: bolstering security” in the West Bank.
Israel accuses Iran of smuggling weapons and funds to Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other armed groups in the West Bank to foment unrest.
The prime minister of the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, Mohammed Mustafa, condemned the raid, saying it was the latest in a series of “aggressive Israeli measures” against Palestinians in the West Bank, according to Wafa.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad both called on Palestinians in the West Bank to escalate attacks against Israeli forces in response to the Jenin operation.
There have been a number of previous Israeli military operations in Jenin.
