Israel has continued military operations in the West Bank. According to Palestinian sources, the number of dead rose to ten. The Jenin refugee camp was again searched for extremists and weapons. The UN reacted with concern.
The Israeli army has continued its large-scale military offensive in the occupied West Bank. Several weapons and military equipment were confiscated in the Palestinian city of Jenin early in the morning, the army said. In addition, an underground shaft for storing explosive devices and “premises of terrorist organizations” were destroyed.
Jenin and the refugee camp there with around 17,000 inhabitants have been considered a stronghold of militant Palestinians for years.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said the death toll in the offensive had risen to ten. In addition, of the 100 injured, 20 are still in critical condition.
According to the Israeli military, the dead are extremists. Israeli media reported that at least 120 suspected Palestinian extremists had been arrested.
Numerous shops and public facilities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem remained closed on Tuesday in protest against the operation. Several Palestinian organizations had previously called for a one-day general strike. Rallies were also planned in several places.
Unclear situation in refugee camp Jenin
According to Palestinian reports, thousands of people were taken from the refugee camp to nearby emergency shelters during the night. A spokeswoman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) confirmed to the AFP news agency that residents of the camp had left their accommodation.
It was initially unclear whether this was ordered by the army. According to Israeli media reports, Israeli security officials denied that there had been an evacuation order.
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters that the Israeli army “has no intention of staying in the camp.” However, she is preparing for the “more serious situation” of fighting longer in the area.
Car drives into pedestrians – Hamas speaks of “revenge”
In the Israeli Mediterranean city of Tel Aviv, a man drove a car onto a sidewalk and rammed passers-by. According to the police, seven people were injured, three of them seriously. After it was initially unclear whether it was intentional, the militant Palestinian organization Hamas spoke of a “heroic act” and of “revenge for the military operation in Jenin”.
air strikes and ground forces
Israel’s military began the operation Monday night with targeted airstrikes. Shortly after the air raids, the army entered the city with ground troops and around 100 military vehicles.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that the military offensive would last as long as necessary “to complete the mission”.
The United Nations reacted with concern to the offensive. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated “that all military operations must be conducted in full respect of international humanitarian law,” UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said in a statement.
Lynn Hastings, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the Palestinian Territories, said she was alarmed by the scale of the military operation. The United Nations mobilized humanitarian aid.
The Arab League called an emergency meeting. The US reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defense while calling on the country to resume security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority.
According to a report by the Reuters news agency, the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that contact and security coordination with Israel had been suspended.
tense security situation
The security situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories has been tense for a long time and recently worsened again. After two Palestinians killed four Israelis in the West Bank almost two weeks ago, angry Israeli settlers repeatedly used violence against Palestinians there.
Since the beginning of the year, more than two dozen people have died in attacks by Palestinians. During the same period, more than 140 Palestinians were shot dead in confrontations, Israeli military operations or after their own attacks.