Israel has launched major operations across the north of the occupied West Bank, killing at least 10 Palestinians, with the Foreign Minister calling for the military to use the same tactics applied in Gaza.
Israel has escalated raids in West Bank cities targeting militants since the Hamas attacks of 7 October, with more than 600 Palestinians killed and thousands arrested, according to the UN. But the territory, in which a Palestinian administration exercises limited self-government, has been spared the level of violence seen in Gaza.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it was carrying out a “counter-terrorism operation” that could continue for days with forces deployed in the cities of Jenin, Tulkarem, Nablus, and Tubas. The military published videos of what it said were air strikes against militant targets.
Palestinian militant groups said they were engaging Israeli forces and claimed to have detonated explosives targeting Israeli vehicles. Footage posted online appeared to show an Israeli bulldozer being targeted with explosives in Jenin.
Hamas later claimed that 10 of its fighters had been killed during the Israeli operations.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported five deaths in Jenin and four in Tubas, and 13 injuries.
Palestinian media published footage appearing to show widespread destruction during the raids, including damage to roads and water infrastructure.
Israeli army radio reported that four hospitals in Jenin and Tulkarem had been surrounded “to prevent terrorists escaping to them” and patients could only enter after screening by soldiers.
Dr Wissam Baker, head of the Jenin government hospital, told i: “A siege was imposed on the hospital, and ambulances were prevented from reaching the hospital. With great difficulty, we were able to admit a number of employees (and following) a relaxation of the procedures, the ambulances were able to reach the hospital, but most of the patients and visitors did not.”
“They cannot reach the hospital due to the presence of military vehicles in front of the hospital, and military vehicles are still closing the main street in front of the hospital until this moment.”
Safa Alghuol, a resident of al-Fara’a camp near Tubas, witnessed an Israeli incursion.
“At midnight, Apache helicopters landed soldiers at all entrances to al-Fara’a camp, which led to violent clashes,” she said, claiming that four civilians were killed by a drone strike.
“The occupation forces also prevented ambulance crews and the Red Crescent from evacuating the injured inside the camp,” she added. “The camp is still besieged (after) more than 15 hours, in addition to the entry of reinforcements.”
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, described the operations as part of a war and called for the same tactics used in Gaza. Much of Gaza’s built environment has been destroyed and more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose data has been deemed reliable by the UN.
“We need to deal with the threat exactly as we deal with terror infrastructure in Gaza, including the temporary evacuation of Palestinian civilians and any other step needed,” he said in a post on social media. “This is a war in every sense.”
The minister accused Iran of “working to establish a terrorist front against Israel in the West Bank” by “financing and arming terrorists”.
Professor Kobi Michael, a military analyst at the Israeli think-tank, the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, said that Tehran was contributing to the strengthening of militant groups in the West Bank.
“The Iranians and Hamas leadership abroad are making huge efforts to supply and fortify the terror infrastructure in the West Bank by smuggling weapons, explosives, and money from Lebanon through Syria and Jordan, and then to the northern districts of the West Bank,” he said.
The IDF is taking a “much more aggressive” approach in response to a perceived growing threat, the analyst added, noting that Hamas had threatened to deploy suicide bombers in Israel after a failed bombing in Tel Aviv last week.
This could extend to operations along the border with Jordan, or against Hezbollah or Iran, said Dr Michael.
Palestinian journalist and political analyst Daoud Kuttab said the raids were intended to pacify and intimidate the Palestinian population amid accelerating land grabs in the West Bank, as Israel authorises new settlements in the occupied territory and retroactively approves settlements that were illegal under Israeli law as well as international law.
“What the army is doing is aimed at creating such a high deterrence that Palestinians shy away from any act of resistance,” he told i.
Nour Odeh, a Palestinian political analyst and former official, said: “The assault today follows the logic that if force does not work, use more force. This government is only interested in one thing: full annexation and takeover of the land.”
Israel’s Civil Adminstration, the body that manages the occupation of the West Bank, has expanded demolition orders of Palestinian properties while authorising what as been described as the “largest land grab in 30 years,” declaring swathes of Palestinian territory as “State Land” belonging to Israel.
Far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who has installed allies to leadership positions in the adminstration, has openly declared his ambition to annex the West Bank to Israel.
Israeli settlers in the West Bank have escalated raids and land grabs targeting Palestinian property during the war.
At least 11 Palestinians have been killed by settlers during the war in Gaza, according to the UN. At least five settlers have been killed by Palestinians during the same period.
