Israel launches largest offensive into West Bank since October 7th
Hundreds of Israeli troops supported by drones, helicopters and armoured personnel carriers conducted raids across the cities of Jenin, Tulkarm and other areas in the occupied West Bank on August 28th, reported Reuters and agencies.
The assault has so far claimed the lives of 10 Palestinians and is one of the largest in months. Other smaller raids have taken place across the West Bank whereby Israeli troops sought to eliminate groups of Palestinian militants.
At a time when Israeli forces are locked into battle with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip and facing an escalation of tensions from Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the latest operation in the West Bank emphasises the multi-frontal war Israel has found itself in since the October 7th attacks.
The armed wings of Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and Fatah announced in separate statements that their fighters were detonating bombs targeting Israeli military vehicles in Jenin, Tulkarm and Far’a, a town in the Jordan Valley.
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Israeli soldiers were said to be surrounding Jenin’s main hospital and cutting off access to the building with earth mounds, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The military stated that the measure was intended to prevent enemy combatants from seeking refuge in the medical facility.
A military spokesman stated that the major operation was carried out following a sharp rise in militant activity in recent months. He noted that over 150 attacks from Tulkarm and Jenin had taken place over the past year, usually involving shooting or explosives.
Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani added that the military assessed that an “immediate threat” to civilians was present, which triggered such action, though the assault is also part of a broader strategy to thwart future attacks.
“This terror threat in this area is not new, it hasn’t started yesterday and it’s not going to end tomorrow,” said Shoshani at a press briefing.
Of the 5 Palestinians killed in Tulkarm on August 26th, two were claimed by Hamas and three by Islamic Jihad.
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Raids have also taken place in Far’a near Tubas in Jordan, where a drone strike killed four people.
Masoud Naaja, the father of two young men killed in the strike, was giving water to some people when he was wounded.
“In seconds, very fast, we felt like something came down on us from the sky and there was an explosion,” he said. “When I put my hand on my chest, it was full of shrapnel and blood.”
Since the October 7th attacks, clashes between Israeli forces and Iranian-backed militants have ramped up. Many Jewish settlers have also resorted to frequent vigilante-style attacks on Palestinian villages.
Over 660 Palestinian fighters and civilians have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the war on Gaza began. At least 30 Israelis have been killed in attacks carried out in Jerusalem and the West Bank in the same period, according to Israeli tallies.
Reuters and agencies
