Israel launches invasion of West Bank refugee camp as killing of Palestinians continues
Jenin, West Bank - The Israeli military on Tuesday launched a deadly assault on a major refugee camp in the illegally occupied West Bank, just days after a fragile ceasefire took hold in Gaza.
The Palestinian health ministry, based in Ramallah, said the large-scale attack on the Jenin refugee camp had killed at least eight people.
In a joint statement, the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security agency said that, alongside the Israeli Border Police, they had launched an operation dubbed "Iron Wall" in Jenin.
In a statement released shortly after the launch of the operation, Netanyahu said the raid aimed to "eradicate terrorism" in Jenin and was part of a broader strategy to counter Iran "wherever it sends its arms – in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen" and the West Bank.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said its first responders treated seven people injured by live ammunition and that Israeli forces were hindering their access to the area.
Jenin governor Kamal Abu al-Rub told AFP the operation was "an invasion of the camp".
"It came quickly, Apache helicopters in the sky and Israeli military vehicles everywhere," he added.
An AFP journalist said Palestinian security forces, who had been conducting an operation against armed factions in the area on Israel's behalf since early December, left some of their positions around the camp before the arrival of Israeli forces.
He reported the frequent sound of explosions and gunfire echoing from the camp.
Israel steps up aggression in West Bank
Anwar Rajab, a spokesperson for the Palestinian security forces, said in a statement that Israeli forces had "opened fire on civilians and security forces, resulting in injuries to several civilians and a number of security personnel, one of whom is in critical condition."
The raid followed a day of rioting by Israeli settlers, who terrorized villagers with the full backing of Israeli military forces.
Jenin and its refugee camp are known bastions of Palestinian resistance to Israel's illegal occupation.
Since Israel launched its genocidal assault on Gaza in response to the October 7 Hamas-led attacks, raids have increased in frequency and brutality in Jenin.
Military raids often feature military bulldozers that dig up roads and destroy homes, often leaving whole neighborhoods cut off from each other.
Jenin's governor said that several bulldozers had entered the city on Tuesday.
Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 846 Palestinians in the West Bank over the past 15 months, according to the health ministry, adding to the over 47,000 people killed in Gaza.
Cover photo: REUTERS