Israel kills 10 militants in West Bank operation
Israel has launched a largescale military operation in the occupied West Bank, with its forces killing ten Palestinian militants and sealing off the volatile city of Jenin.
Near-daily raids have been carried out by Israel in the West Bank since Hamas’ October 7 attack out of Gaza triggered the ongoing war there.
Israel says it is rooting out militants to prevent attacks on its citizens, while Palestinians in the West Bank fear it intends to broaden the war and forcibly displace more of them.
Lt Col Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, said “large forces” had entered jenin, long a militant stronghold, as well as tulka remand the al-far a a refugee camp dating back to the 1948 Middle East war, all in the northern West Bank.
He said israeli forces had killed nine militants, including three in an air strike in Tulkarem and four in a strike in Al-faraa. He said another five suspected militants were arrested, and that the raids were the first stage of an even larger operation.
Hamas announced that ten of its fighters had been killed in the West Bank yesterday. Palestinian militant groups also said they were exchanging fire with Israeli troops.
The governor of Jenin, Kamal Abu al-rub, said on Palestinian radio that israeli forces had surrounded the city, blocking exit and entry points and access to hospitals, and ripping up infrastructure in the camp.
Lt Col Shoshani said the military was trying to prevent militants from taking shelter in hospitals.
Army vehicles were seen blocking all the entrances to Alfaraa camp.
Military jeeps and bulldozers entered the camp and soldiers were seen patrolling its alleyways by foot, while water leaked on to the damaged streets from houses where fighting had damagedtanks and pipes. shots rang out every few minutes.
Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz drew comparisons with Gaza and called for similar measures in the West Bank.
“We must deal with the threat just as we deal with the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents and whatever steps might be required. This is a war in every respect, and we must win it,” he wrote on the platform X.
Lt Col Shoshani said there was no plan to evacuate civilians.
Hamas called on Palestinians in the West Bank to rise up, raids part of a larger plan to expand the war in Gaza and blaming the escalation on US support for Israel.
Nabil abu rude in eh, a spokesman for Palestinian authority president Mahmoud Abbas, condemned the raids as a “serious escalation” and called on the United States to intervene. Mr Abbas later announced he was cutting short a visit to Saudi Arabia and returning to the West Bank, where his government is based.
At least 652 palestinian sin the West Bank have been killed by Israeli fire since the war in Gaza began more than ten months ago, according to the Palestinian ministry.
Most died during raids, which often trigger gun battles with militants.
Israel says the operations are required to dismantle Hamas and other militant groups. Attacks on Israelis have risen since the start of the war.