Occupied West Bank (Quds News Network)- At least ten Palestinians have been killed so far as the Israeli occupation army announced the launch of a military operation in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday.
What Happened?
Local sources said Israeli soldiers stormed the city on Tuesday from the Jalameh military checkpoint, after a special Israeli force infiltrated the al-Jabariyat neighborhood.
The raid coincided with Israeli drones bombing an empty vehicle near al-Zahraa School in the vicinity of Jenin refugee camp, without any injuries being reported, while Apache helicopters fired into the skies of the camp.
https://twitter.com/QudsNen/status/1881667852652179736
“Iron Wall”
The Israeli military claimed it was conducting a “counterterrorism” operation, without providing details.
Israeli media, citing a military source, reports the Israeli military’s ongoing raid in Jenin is expected to go on for at least several days, mobilising extensive troops, special forces and intelligence personnel.
The operation is codenamed “The Iron Wall”, said Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the operation, saying, “Under the guidance of the Security Cabinet, the IDF, Shin Bet, and the Israel Police launched today a wide-ranging and significant military operation to combat terrorism in Jenin – “Iron Wall.””
https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/1881669696736379144
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel’s ongoing raid in Jenin is designed to “change the security situation” in the occupied West Bank.
The military raid “will be an intense and ongoing operation”, said Smotrich in a post on X.
He added it would target “terror elements and their enablers” in order to protect Israeli “settlers” and “settlements”, which he described as a “security buffer” for Israel.
Palestinians Killed, Injured
At least 10 Palestinians have been killed so far since the start of the assault and about 40 others injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Among the victims was a 16-year-old teenager.
Before the Israeli assault, the Palestinian Authority’s security forces had been conducting a weeks-long operation to reassert control of the city as well as the refugee camp.
The operation also comes only days after the start of a ceasefire in Gaza following 15 months of Israeli genocide.
“Invasion of Jenin Camp”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for “maximum restraint” from security forces and said that he “remains deeply concerned”.
Israeli NGO B’Tselem accused the Israeli government of using the Gaza ceasefire as “an excuse and opportunity to ratchet up the oppression of West Bank Palestinians”.
“This is not what a ceasefire looks like,” it said.
Jenin governor Kamal Abu al-Rub told AFP the operation was “an invasion of the (Jenin refugee) camp”.
“It came quickly, Apache helicopters in the sky and Israeli military vehicles everywhere,” he added.
A spokesman for the Palestinian security forces said in a statement that Israeli forces had “opened fire on civilians and security forces, resulting in injuries to several civilians and a number of security personnel, one of whom is in critical condition”.
