At least two Israeli security guards have been killed, and a third has been wounded in a shootout at a checkpoint in Hebron. This incident occurs amidst Israel’s deployment of reinforcements to the occupied West Bank city of Jenin as part of its ongoing military offensive. The Israeli army has conducted a deadly operation in Jenin for five consecutive days, leading to the deaths of at least 24 Palestinians. Since the onset of Israel’s war against Gaza on October 7, over 500 Palestinians have reportedly lost their lives due to intensified military operations in the West Bank. Moreover, more than 40,000 Palestinians are believed to have been killed in Gaza over the past 11 months.
The Israeli national emergency service, Magen David Adom, reported on Sunday that a man and a woman had been killed, while a third man in his 50s was transferred to a hospital in critical condition following the attack near the Tarqumiyah checkpoint, south of Hebron. According to the Maariv newspaper, the three victims worked as police officers at the Hebron station and were shot at from a passing Palestinian vehicle.
Niba Ibrahim, a reporter for Al Jazeera covering the situation from Ramallah, noted that the recent attacks have primarily focused on the northern part of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, but there has also been an increase in activity in the southern part of the West Bank. The Israeli army has confirmed that they are conducting a raid in the Palestinian village of Idna, located near the shooting incident.
Akram Natsheh, a journalist in Hebron, reports that Israeli forces have closed all roads in and out of the southern city while drones hover above the area. “There is only tension and anxiety as Israeli forces move into the area – the situation could escalate,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Israeli siege of the city of Jenin has left Palestinians without food, water, electricity, and internet access. Local authorities report that 70 percent of the roads in the Jenin area have been bulldozed. Israeli forces have stormed the northern cities of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas, supported by tanks, drones, and bulldozers, marking some of the largest operations in the West Bank since the Second Intifada in 2002.
The Israeli army claims its intention is to target armed groups to prevent future attacks. Gunfire exchanges have been reported in several locations, and Hamas has stated that at least 10 of its fighters, including a key commander, have been killed this week. However, the destruction and the infrastructure left behind by Israeli forces after their withdrawal from areas like Tulkarem and Tubas have raised concerns among residents that the army aims to expand the war in Gaza to the West Bank and displace Palestinians from their homes.
The Israeli military has caused extensive damage to infrastructure, water pipelines, and electricity systems.