2023-07-04 05:18:42
Israel’s army continued its military offensive in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday night. At least nine people were killed in airstrikes and fighting on the ground, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. Around 100 other Palestinians were injured, 20 of them critically. At least one of the dead was reported to be a Palestinian militant.
The army moved into the Palestinian city of Jenin on Monday night, beginning its first major offensive in around 20 years. According to their own statements, they confiscated weapons and explosives and arrested several suspects.
Palestinian media reported on Monday evening that the Israeli army had ordered Palestinians to leave the Jenin refugee camp. Footage online showed many people pouring out of their homes. According to Israeli media reports, however, Israeli security officials denied that there had been such an evacuation order. Accordingly, thousands of people fled the fighting.
The densely populated city of Jenin and the associated refugee camp with around 17,000 residents are considered a stronghold of militant Palestinians. The various groups are financed primarily by Iran, an archenemy of the State of Israel.
“In recent months, Jenin has become a haven for terrorism, from which insidious attacks have been launched on Israeli men, women and children,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an appearance on Monday evening. “Israeli soldiers are doing everything they can to avoid killing civilians, while Israel is doing everything it can to exercise its right to self-defense.” The aim is to eliminate all those “who want to destroy our country”. The military offensive will last as long as necessary “to complete the mission,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying by the Israeli media.
After a meeting of its leadership on Monday evening, the Palestinian Authority reiterated that it would no longer cooperate with Israel on security issues. The autonomy authority had made similar announcements on previous occasions – but they were not actually implemented. Both sides exchange intelligence to prevent terrorist attacks and to coordinate major operations in zones controlled solely by the Palestinian Authority. It is also intended to prevent militant groups from gaining the upper hand in this area.
The security situation in Israel and in the Palestinian territories has been tense for a long time, but violence has recently increased once more. Since the beginning of the year, more than two dozen people have died in attacks by Palestinians. During the same period, more than 140 Palestinians were killed in violent clashes, Israeli military operations, or following their own attacks.
Israel had conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War. The Palestinians claim the territories as part of their own state. However, a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict that has been going on for decades seems a long way off.
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