Second Day of West Bank Violence: Zionist Military Kills Worshipers and Torches Homes
Despite widespread international condemnation, the Israeli military is continuing its most extensive military campaign in the occupied West Bank in over twenty years.
The death toll from Israel’s significant offensive on the occupied West Bank, which commenced on Wednesday, has risen to at least 18, according to a report on Thursday from the Palestinian official news agency, Wafa.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society announced that a Palestinian man passed away in eastern Jenin early Thursday.
Shortly after five Palestinians were fatally shot by Israeli army fire within a mosque located in the Nur Shams refugee camp, in the northern city of Tulkarem.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the initial day of raids and attacks resulted in the deaths of 12 Palestinians.
In the early hours of Wednesday, Israel launched coordinated raids involving columns of armored vehicles supported by troops and warplanes. Soldiers then surrounded refugee camps in Tubas, Tulkarem, and Jenin.
The condition in the occupied West Bank is worsening significantly.
Local Palestinian media outlets report that Israeli occupying forces have set fire to multiple homes and caused significant infrastructure damage in the Nour Shams refugee camp, located east of Tulkarm.
Power and internet services have been disrupted in certain parts of the West Bank.
The aggressive incursions have led to extensive devastation, particularly in Tulkarem, where the governor characterized them as “unprecedented” and a “serious warning.”
Authorities have announced extensive damage to infrastructure, notably affecting water and sewage systems.
Video footage revealed bulldozers tearing up the asphalt from city streets as a safety measure to counter hidden explosives.
The Hamas resistance movement has condemned Israel’s blockade of hospitals in Jenin and Tulkarm, which persists in obstructing the entry of injured individuals into these medical facilities.
Several media reports, citing witnesses, stated that Israeli forces had pulled out from the al-Farra refugee camp in Tubas on August 28, following an incident where multiple Palestinians lost their lives.
However, conflicts continued to erupt in Jenin, where a drone was observed hovering above. Meanwhile, Israeli troops remained active in Tulkarem.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, a minimum of 45 individuals have been detained since the Israeli operation began in the northern West Bank.
The presidency of the Palestinian Authority (PA) denounced Israel’s attack, cautioning that it might lead to “grave and hazardous” consequences. Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas cut short his trip to Saudi Arabia and returned home early.
The United Nations voiced worry regarding the Israeli military actions in the occupied territories.
In a statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced the loss of lives, including those of children, and called on Israel to safeguard civilians and guarantee their safety.
“These perilous events are intensifying an already volatile situation in the occupied West Bank and further weakening the Palestinian Authority,” he stated.
According to the United Nations, Israel’s raids and attacks on the occupied West Bank are likely to significantly worsen an already dire situation.
Violence from settlers and incursions by Israeli forces in the West Bank have intensified following Israel’s aggressive military campaign in the blockaded Gaza Strip, which began in early October 2023.
Israeli attacks on refugee camps and towns in the West Bank have become nearly a daily event, increasing in frequency since October 7.
Since that time, Israel has caused the deaths of at least 40,534 individuals and injured an additional 93,778 in the blockaded Gaza Strip.
During this same timeframe, it has resulted in the deaths of 662 Palestinians and injuries to approximately 5,400 more in the West Bank.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, along with al-Haq and the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, have issued warnings about increasing violence in the West Bank, noting that Israeli forces are employing tactics similar to those used in their military operations in Gaza.
In a historic ruling on July 19, the International Court of Justice condemned Israel’s multi-decade occupation of Palestinian territories as illegal and called for the removal of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
