WEST BANK (AP)-In a significant military operation reminiscent of past Palestinian uprisings, Israel targeted a militant stronghold in the occupied West Bank using drones and deployed hundreds of troops in the area. The operation, which began early Monday, led to the death of at least eight Palestinians and left dozens wounded, according to Palestinian health officials.
The raid focused on the Jenin refugee camp, where Israeli troops remained as the largest operation in the area in over a year of fighting continued. The move comes in response to mounting pressure within Israel for a strong response to a series of attacks against Israeli settlers, including a shooting incident last month that resulted in the deaths of four Israelis.
The scenes from the camp depicted black smoke rising, exchanges of gunfire, and the constant buzzing of drones. Electricity was reportedly cut off in certain parts of the camp, and military bulldozers damaged buildings as they cleared the way for Israeli forces. The violence drew condemnation from the Palestinians, as well as neighboring Jordan and Egypt, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation consisting of 57 member states.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the operation was progressing according to plan but did not provide a timeline for its conclusion. As of mid-afternoon, the fighting was ongoing, approximately 14 hours after Israel’s incursion into the camp.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, an army spokesman, around 2,000 soldiers, constituting a brigade-size force, were involved in the operation. He explained that military drones were deployed to carry out strikes and clear the way for ground forces. Hecht noted that Monday’s strikes represented an escalation unseen since the end of the Palestinian uprising in 2006, despite isolated airstrikes in the West Bank in recent weeks.
Amid the turmoil, Lynn Hastings, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in the Palestinian areas, expressed alarm at the scale of the Israeli forces’ operation and emphasized the need for humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, the official Palestinian news agency reported that the military had blocked roads within the camp, occupied houses and buildings, and positioned snipers on rooftops, indicating that the operation could be prolonged.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported a death toll of eight Palestinians, with 50 people wounded, including 10 in critical condition. In a separate incident, a 21-year-old Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire near the city of Ramallah in the West Bank. Palestinian presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh vowed that the Palestinian people would remain steadfast in the face of aggression.
The Jenin camp and its neighboring town have been at the center of escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence since spring 2022. Israel’s foreign minister, Eli Cohen, attributed the violence to Iran, accusing the country of funding Palestinian militant groups. Palestinians, however, reject these claims and argue that the violence is a natural response to decades of Israeli occupation.
Jenin has historically been a hub for armed resistance against Israel and was a major point of contention during the previous Palestinian uprising. The current raid follows a violent clash in Jenin two weeks ago and rocket launches from the area last week, which raised concerns in Israel.
While some experts anticipate a swift conclusion to the operation, Israeli military strategists aim to avoid prolonged violence and heavy casualties to minimize international criticism and prevent the involvement of militants from Gaza or Lebanon. So far this year, over 130 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, marking a significant surge in violence over the past year. The absence of a political process with Israel, along with increased settlement construction and extremist settler violence, has fueled Palestinian attacks and protests against Israeli incursions.
