At least nine individuals lost their lives during a significant Israeli operation in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas within the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian health authorities on Wednesday.
The Israeli military announced it was preparing a statement, having previously disclosed the names of the five Palestinian combatants it killed on Monday in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank. The frequency of clashes in the West Bank has notably increased since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. Israel has intensified its operations against militant groups in the area, while Jewish settlers have also frequently carried out vigilante-style assaults on Palestinian communities.
The armed factions of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah issued separate declarations stating that their fighters were detonating bombs against Israeli military vehicles as they engaged with Israeli forces in the three West Bank regions. Islamic Jihad claimed that Israel was attempting to extend the conflict from Gaza to the West Bank, noting that their fighters were employing machine guns in close-quarters combat with Israeli troops and targeting military bulldozers with explosives.
Reuters verified CCTV footage showing Israeli military vehicles traversing a street in Jenin on Wednesday. According to figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry, thousands of Palestinians have been detained in raids, and over 660, including fighters and civilians, have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the Gaza war began nearly 11 months ago.
At least 30 Israelis have perished in attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank during this period, according to Israeli records. The recent surge in Israeli-Palestinian hostilities commenced on October 7 following an incursion by Hamas militants into southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 and the capture of more than 250 hostages, as per Israeli data. Israel's campaign in Gaza has devastated large areas of the territory, repeatedly displacing nearly all of its 2.3 million inhabitants, leading to severe hunger and disease, and claiming the lives of over 40,400 people, according to Palestinian health officials.
Mediated talks to resolve the conflict continue, with both Hamas and Israel accusing each other of impeding progress, while the United States remains hopeful that a ceasefire can be achieved.
