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RAMALLAH — Israeli forces carried out an enormous raid on the Palestinian metropolis of Jenin within the occupied West Financial institution on Thursday, killing not less than 9 individuals in a prolonged shootout that left intensive destruction.
The Israel Protection Forces described it as a “counterterrorism operation” in opposition to Islamic Jihad militants concerned in assaults on Israelis.
Twenty different individuals have been injured, 4 others critically, within the violence on the Jenin refugee camp, based on the Palestinian Well being Ministry replace posted on Fb.
“The state of affairs in Jenin camp may be very essential,” Well being Minister Mai al-Kaila stated in a separate assertion, including that Israeli forces had prevented ambulances from reaching the injured. She additionally stated that Israeli forces had “intentionally” fired tear fuel at a pediatric ward of a hospital.
2022 was deadliest yr for West Financial institution Palestinians in almost twenty years
The Israeli navy later stated its forces had carried out a raid in opposition to members of Islamic Jihad who had been “closely concerned” in planning and finishing up assaults in opposition to Israelis, nevertheless it accused the militants of opening fireplace first. It stated six “terrorists” had been killed, whereas one other surrendered, including that experiences of different casualties had been being “seemed into.”
Pictures from the camp appeared to point out intensive injury to buildings and numerous automobiles.
Saleem Awaad, a 27-year-old resident of the camp stated at first “three undercover automobiles entered the middle of the camp, and there was a conflict between them and the resistance fighters,” which escalated into “intense combating” between Israeli forces and militants finally involving dozens of navy automobiles, together with three bulldozers.
The president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, described Thursday’s occasions as a “bloodbath” and introduced three days of mourning.
Camp resident Mohammed Shabi, 56, stated the home that was the primary goal of the assault was surrounded and blown up.
“They had been capturing at something that moved. They destroyed roads and automobiles, even water tanks,” he stated, describing it because the worst combating in 20 years. “The dimensions of the destruction jogs my memory of 2002 when the occupation forces destroyed the Jenin camp.”
There have been nearly every day Israeli operations on targets within the West Financial institution, however the scale of Thursday’s battle and the variety of fatalities had been uncommon.
On Wednesday, the Israeli navy shot lifeless two Palestinians in separate incidents, together with a person it stated had tried to stab troopers, and a 17-year-old who was shot whereas holding a dummy weapon, based on Reuters.
In accordance with figures from the United Nations, 151 Palestinians had been killed within the West Financial institution final yr — the very best determine for the reason that U.N. started protecting systematic information in 2005. They embody U.S. citizen and Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot whereas protecting one other raid on the refugee camp in Jenin on Might 11.
The most recent violence comes weeks after Benjamin Netanyahu as soon as once more grew to become Israel’s prime minister, with probably the most right-wing cupboard within the nation’s historical past, and days earlier than Secretary of State Antony Blinken is anticipated to journey to satisfy Israeli and Palestinian officers.
The brand new Israeli authorities has introduced plans to prioritize the growth of settlements within the West Financial institution and already taken numerous punitive measures in opposition to Palestinians, together with revoking the VIP journey permits of ministers, in response to a bid for the Worldwide Court docket of Justice to rule on the legality of Israeli insurance policies.
Bisset reported from London.
