The Israeli army has declared that it carried out a 'counter-terrorism operation' in Jenin, a city in the northern occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Authority reported on Tuesday morning that seven people had been killed by Israeli forces in this area, which includes a surgical doctor identified as Oussaïd Jabarine, a teacher, and a minor school student.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 'seven dead and nine injured by occupation bullets' were noted in a message on their Telegram account. The Israeli army also communicated via Telegram, stating that Israeli forces had 'begun an anti-terrorist operation in Jenin by attacking armed men in the area.' Israeli media outlet I24News corroborated this, reporting that 'terrorists' were hit by the Israeli Defense Forces.
As a consequence of the Israeli military raid, all schools in Jenin and the adjacent Palestinian refugee camp have been evacuated, reported the Palestinian Wafa agency. Jenin is known as a bastion of armed groups that oppose Israeli occupation, which has been ongoing since 1967. The Israeli army frequently carries out military operations in Jenin, termed as 'anti-terrorist' activities aimed at thwarting attacks on Israelis in the West Bank and in Israel.
The West Bank has been embroiled in escalated violence for the past two years, further intensified by the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This situation has exacerbated since the deadly attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on October 7. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 512 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers in the West Bank since October 7. During the same timeframe, at least 12 Israelis have lost their lives in the West Bank due to Palestinian attacks or assaults, based on official Israeli data.
- The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF)’s earlier operations in Jenin include a past intervention in March, where a local commander of the armed wing of Islamic Jihad was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle. Two additional Palestinians, accused by Israel of plotting attacks, were also killed.
