Israeli forces launched a major operation in the city of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, on Monday, resulting in the deaths of at least nine Palestinians and injuring 50 others, according to Palestinian health officials. This operation, described by an Israeli official as the largest in the area in nearly two decades, involved drone strikes and the deployment of hundreds of troops. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, a spokesperson for the Israeli Army, stated that the objective of the raid was to seize or destroy weapons belonging to Palestinian militants. The operation commenced with an airstrike on a building in the Jenin refugee camp, which was reportedly being used as a planning base for attacks.
Following the initial strike, additional airstrikes were conducted to clear the way for approximately 2,000 Israeli ground forces. Gun battles were reported in the streets of the sprawling refugee camp, accompanied by the sound of gunfire and the presence of drones in the area. Reports indicate that roads and a memorial within the camp were bulldozed by Israeli forces. Regrettably, a child was injured by shrapnel during the operation. Israeli authorities have attributed multiple attacks targeting Israelis this year to Palestinian militants operating from the Jenin refugee camp, prompting previous raids in the area.
The Jenin refugee camp, established to provide shelter for Palestinians displaced during the 1948-1949 Arab-Israeli war, is currently home to approximately 14,000 people, as per the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency. Concerns have been raised regarding the potential for civilian casualties amidst the escalating strikes and violence. The United Nations announced its mobilization of humanitarian aid in response to the situation. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen claimed that the raids targeted specific proxies of Iran, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, clarifying that Israel did not intend to hold ground in the West Bank. In contrast, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh condemned the operation as an attempt to destroy the camp and displace its inhabitants, vowing that the Palestinian people would not surrender to the ongoing occupation. Furthermore, a separate protest against the Jenin raid near the city of Ramallah resulted in the death of a Palestinian.
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