Israeli Military Intensifies Attacks in Jenin Amid Humanitarian Crisis
The Israeli military is intensifying its operations in Jenin, located in the occupied West Bank, where access to humanitarian aid for Palestinians in the besieged refugee camp is being obstructed for the fourth consecutive day of the operation. According to Al Jazeera Arabic, several Israeli soldiers are stationed on the outskirts of the Jenin refugee camp, while military bulldozers and armored vehicles have also been observed in the area.
Israeli forces have destroyed homes in the Jabriyat neighborhood within the camp, marking one of the largest military operations against Palestinian territories in over 20 years. Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh reports that “Palestinian residents continue to plead for access to food, water, and medical supplies, all of which are being prevented from entering the refugee camp.” She adds that residents have almost no access to external aid.
Multiple exchanges of fire between Palestinian fighters and Israeli soldiers have been reported, and social media showcases extensive damage in the area. The militant wing of Hamas stated that its members have been involved in armed clashes with Israeli forces in the village of Kafr Dan, located west of the West Bank city.
Israeli troops, supported by armored vehicles, drones, and bulldozers, began fighting in Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas on Wednesday. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, an “elderly man” has been killed in Jenin, bringing the total death toll from the military operations to 20. The Israeli army claims its objective is to target armed groups in the West Bank and prevent future attacks. They assert that 20 Palestinian fighters have been killed and 17 have been arrested.
Palestinian residents believe that the destruction left in the wake of the military efforts—manifested in the devastation of infrastructure, roads, and water and electricity facilities—indicates the army’s intention to make the area uninhabitable and force Palestinians out of their homes.
In the southern part of the West Bank, tensions have surged after Israeli soldiers shot two Palestinians suspected of attempting to attack Israelis in separate incidents late Friday night. The army reported that troops responding to a vehicle that caught fire and exploded at a gas station killed a suspected assailant “who exited the vehicle and attempted to attack” soldiers.
In another incident, assailants drove a vehicle into the gates of the illegal settlement of Karmei Tzur and infiltrated the area, resulting in the death of one attacker. Security forces have been deployed to the area to search for additional assailants.
Israel’s Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service reported that three people were treated for moderate and minor injuries. Two of them were shot near Gush Etzion Junction, while a third was injured when his vehicle collided with that of the attackers.
The situation in Hebron, the largest district with around one million inhabitants, is described as particularly tense, as Israeli forces have set up multiple roadblocks. The ongoing attacks represent the largest and most violent since the beginning of Israel’s war against Gaza, with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reporting approximately 600 Palestinian deaths. The number of detentions since the onset of the attacks in the West Bank has risen to around 70, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club and the Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs.