The Israeli military has reportedly killed at least 10 Palestinians, including a child, in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday. This incident occurred as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the launch of a “large-scale military operation” in the city of Jenin, just two days after a ceasefire in Gaza went into effect.
The security cabinet of Israel initiated this offensive, dubbed “Iron Wall,” involving the military, police, and Shin Bet security agency, with the aim to combat terrorism in Jenin. In response, the militant group Hamas urged the people in the West Bank to resist the Israeli army.
Reports from the Palestinian news agency Wafa indicated that Israeli warplanes targeted Jenin, while Israeli forces, including sharpshooters and armored vehicles, surrounded the city’s refugee camp and hindered ambulance access. Videos from local journalists displayed a significant presence of armored vehicles entering Jenin.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 10 individuals, including a teenage boy, were killed and 40 others were injured in the city. It remains unclear whether those killed were civilians or engaged in hostilities with Israeli forces, though videos suggested the victims included civilians.
The armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Al Quds Brigades, confirmed they were engaging Israeli troops around the refugee camp. The group asserted that the military operation was an attempt by Netanyahu to bolster his government coalition and disrupt the recent prisoner releases in the West Bank following the Gaza truce.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared that security in the West Bank is now a priority in Israel’s “war goals,” after the recent operations in Gaza and Lebanon. There has been an escalation of violence in the West Bank since the Gaza ceasefire, prompting the IDF Chief of Staff to emphasize readiness for significant operations in the region.
The situation in the West Bank remains tense as military activities intensify, raising concerns about further violence and instability in the region.
In a concerning turn of events, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Ramallah expressed deep alarm over the latest surge of violence involving Israeli settlers and security forces in the West Bank. The OHCHR disclosed that Israeli security forces fatally shot a 14-year-old Palestinian boy under circumstances suggesting he was unarmed, as reported on Monday.
According to OHCHR reports, a significant number of settlers carried out aggressive incursions into Palestinian towns on Sunday, resulting in the destruction of homes and vehicles, road blockades, and violent stone-throwing incidents. The unrest spilled over into Monday, with residents of Al-Funduq revealing that armed settlers set ablaze vehicles and shops while hurling stones and discharging firearms toward residences. The aggression extended to a nearby village where two tractors and a plantation nursery were torched, and a house was damaged.
The surge in settler violence, which has witnessed a troubling escalation in recent years, has drawn strong condemnation from the international community. Despite initial sanctions imposed by the Biden administration against Israeli settlers held responsible for deadly actions, these punitive measures have been revoked as part of the sweeping executive orders signed by President Donald Trump. The endorsement by Trump’s UN ambassador nominee of the notion that Israel has a “biblical right” to annex the West Bank further underscores the complex dynamics at play.
Critically, Jewish settlements in the West Bank are deemed illegal under international law, with the United Nations’ highest court reaffirming the illegality of Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Against this backdrop, the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem has pointed out that settlers, with the apparent support and collaboration of the Israeli army, have instigated attacks on Palestinian communities across the West Bank.
In response to reported riots in Al-Funduq on Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and police intervened, resulting in the shooting of two settlers by police officers. The ensuing unrest saw 17 arrests and three police officers injured amid protests over the shootings. Regrettably, the cycle of violence has taken a heavy toll, with at least 851 Palestinians, including 173 children, losing their lives in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem since a significant attack by Hamas in October 2023. Conversely, 2024 marked the third-deadliest year for Israelis in the West Bank, with 34 fatalities recorded, including 15 soldiers and 19 civilians, seven of whom were settlers.
As tensions continue to simmer, the implications of these clashes reverberate far beyond the immediate conflict zone, underlining the urgent need for a concerted effort to address the root causes of the ongoing violence. For additional updates and in-depth coverage, stay tuned to CNN and subscribe to our newsletters on CNN.com.
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