2024-08-28 15:38:44
Israel has turned the northern West Bank into a veritable battleground, launching massive attacks at dawn on Wednesday that also targeted Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas in the largest operation since Operation Defensive Shield in 2002. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was forced to cut short his visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Although the Palestinian president warned that everyone will pay the price of this escalating Israeli war, the “Qassam Brigades” affiliated with the “Hamas” movement promised to expand the confrontation to the central and southern West Bank.
Israel killed 11 Palestinians in airstrikes, armed clashes and raids in the first hours of the operation involving the Garfir Brigade, Duf Devan special forces, combat engineers, border police, armored vehicles and bulldozers under air cover Involved in these attacks, it claimed that it was targeting the infrastructure of factions that receive funding from Iran.
Israeli soldiers arrest Palestinians at Noor Shams refugee camp near the West Bank city of Tulkarm on Wednesday (AFP)
Palestinian militants clashed with Israeli forces in Jenin and its camps, Tulkarem and its camps, and Tubas. Video footage showed Israeli forces sweeping through the area, with armed confrontations breaking out in streets and houses and Palestinian militants targeting vehicles and bulldozers with explosive devices.
The Qassam, Quds and Al-Aqsa Brigades announced that their fighters had engaged in violent clashes with occupying forces on various fronts of the invasion, resulting in casualties among their officers and soldiers, and also identified vehicles.
Armed factions confirmed that in addition to direct confrontations, their militants used explosive devices against troops invading all areas.
Security agencies are particularly worried about a full-scale uprising, according to Israeli media reports. Security agencies fear a scenario in which Palestinian brigades launch organized attacks against unprotected settlements or individual farms in the northern West Bank, similar to what Hamas did on October 7 with the involvement of Palestinian security services.
Israel estimates that such an attack may have been launched from Tulkarem.
A Palestinian medical worker near an Israeli military vehicle in Jenin on Wednesday (Reuters)
Israeli security officials accuse Iran and Hamas of fomenting tensions in the West Bank because they see it as the most successful way to prevent Israeli attacks on Iran and Lebanon and ease pressure in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army announced tonight (Wednesday) that it had launched a large-scale “anti-terrorism” operation in Jenin and Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, in cooperation with the General Security Directorate (Shin Bet), which included attacks on refugee camps with helicopters and drones Escort.
A military spokesman announced that they bombed the militants from the air, killed others in confrontations, foiled explosive devices, confiscated weapons and surrounded several hospitals in search of wanted men.
“We decided to take some actions to change the reality in the West Bank,” the security official told Israeli media.
Israel attacks Noor Shams refugee camp on Wednesday, Palestinian children’s houses destroyed (AFP)
Officials confirmed that the main impetus for the operation was last week’s suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, which reminded Israelis of the worst attack they had ever seen and caused panic in streets, markets and the public. of many people died.
The “changing reality” Israelis talk about includes the first attempts to evacuate residents of Area A of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
Israeli military sources said residents may evacuate their homes in an organized manner based on areas where fighting is expected. Palestinian sources later confirmed that the army requested the evacuation of residents of the Noor Shams refugee camp, but a military spokesman explained that no evacuation instructions were issued to residents of the area, but rather that the army decided to allow residents who wished to move from Warzone safely exit the location.
The army attempted to promote a voluntary evacuation of the Palestinian population following a statement by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, in which the army called for a temporary withdrawal of the Palestinian population.
Patients leave Jenin Hospital (EPA) during Israeli military operations on Wednesday
Katz said Israeli forces in Jenin, Tulkarem and other areas were working to dismantle Iranian-backed networks in the West Bank.
Bezalel Smotrich, the career finance minister, threatened to turn Tulkarem into Gaza.
In addition to heavy air and land attacks, Israel has destroyed infrastructure in refugee camps in the northern West Bank and destroyed water pipelines.
The streets of the Nour Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem show how they were bulldozed along with the infrastructure in a sabotage operation that included the destruction of main water lines, not unlike the military’s approach to operations in the Gaza Strip similar.
Large blocks of the Jenin refugee camp were also without power.
The Palestinian president responded by saying everyone will pay the price for Israeli aggression.
Nabil Abu Rudeina, the official spokesman of the presidential palace, said that in addition to the war of extermination in the Gaza Strip, Israel has carried out attacks on the cities of Jenin, Tulkarem, Tubas and other Palestinian cities in the West Bank. The escalating war in villages and refugee camps will lead to horrific and dangerous consequences, and everyone will pay the price.
Abu Rudeina holds the Israeli government and the U.S. government, which provides him with protection and support, responsible for the dangerous escalation.
He emphasized that this policy of escalation, destruction of cities, killing of citizens, arrests and colonization will not bring security and stability to anyone, and everyone will pay the price for these foolish actions of Israel.
The Palestinian president has cut short a visit to Saudi Arabia after attacks in the northern West Bank.
A Palestinian Authority official told Asharq Al-Awsat that they were targeting the Authority.
He added: “What is happening is also aimed at the authorities. They have the president planning to go to Gaza and they want to tell him in front of his people: protect the people of the West Bank first. They are doing this in front of their people through these actions Marginalizing, humiliating and further weakening authority… within the framework of their stated goals; to destroy the Authority and control the remainder of the West Bank and Gaza.
Although the “Fatah” movement affirms that “the occupation forces’ brutal aggression against the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is part of a systematic war of extermination since October 7 last year and will not intimidate our people nor will it Dissipate their will to pursue freedom and freedom.” Hamas asserts that the current criminal military campaign will inevitably collapse in the face of the people’s determination.
As for the Qassam Brigades, which are affiliated with Hamas, it said: “These brigades bring good news to our great people and to the free peoples of our country and the world. The occupiers’ attempts to undermine the resistance in the northern part of the country’s West Bank will Death and the coming reaction from the southern and central West Bank and occupied interior areas are astonishing, God Almighty willing”.
Hamas has called on members of the Palestinian security services to join the battle in the West Bank.
With the killing of 11 Palestinians, Israel has killed 642 Palestinians since October 7, while at least 19 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks.
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