Israeli troops stormed several areas of the occupied West Bank, killing at least 10 Hamas members in what has been described as the largest assault on the region in months.
The raids, which targeted the militant stronghold cities of Jenin and Tulkarm, were part of a broader Israeli effort to counter rising militant activity.
Hamas confirmed the deaths of its members, as Israeli forces utilised helicopters and drones in the operation. The violence in the West Bank has intensified following the Islamist group’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of 250 hostages. The ongoing conflict, now nearing its 11th month, has led to the deaths of over 40,000 people, both civilians and combatants, in Gaza. Nearly 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced due to extensive Israeli bombardment and mass destruction. The Israeli military launched a series of coordinated attacks early Wednesday across four cities—Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, and Tulkarm—in response to what it described as a significant increase in militant activities in recent months. An Israeli military spokesperson said that the operation was necessary to address the growing threat posed by militants in these areas.
Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military official, stated that over 150 attacks involving shootings or explosives had originated from Tulkarm and Jenin in the past year. He emphasised that the military had identified an “immediate threat” to civilians. “This terror threat in this area is not new; it hasn’t started yesterday, and it’s not going to end tomorrow,” Shoshani told reporters during a briefing. According to Shoshani, all ten individuals killed in the operation were identified as terrorists. Three were killed in an airstrike in Tulkarm, and four others were killed in an airstrike in Al-Faraa. Additionally, five suspected terrorists were arrested during the raids. Shoshani explained that the operation was part of a broader strategy aimed at preventing further attacks on Israeli civilians. He noted that Israeli forces encountered explosives and engaged in firefights with militants during the initial hours of the operation. In Jenin, Israeli forces surrounded the city and blocked entry and exit points to hospitals, a measure the military said was intended to prevent terrorists from seeking refuge inside. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz compared the situation in the West Bank to the conflict in Gaza, calling for similar measures to be implemented, including the temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents. “We must deal with the threat just as we deal with the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, including the temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents and whatever steps might be required. This is a war in every respect, and we must win it,” Katz wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. However, Shoshani clarified that there were no current plans to evacuate civilians in the West Bank.
In response to the Israeli military operation, Hamas called on Palestinians in the West Bank to “join the sacred battle of our people” and resist Israel’s efforts to expand the conflict into the West Bank. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned the raids as a “serious escalation” and called on the United States to intervene, according to the official Palestinian news agency.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that the bodies of seven people were taken to a hospital in Tubas, another West Bank city. In contrast, two others were taken to a hospital in Jenin. The ministry identified the two individuals killed in Jenin as Qassam Jabarin, 25, and Asem Balout, 39. This latest escalation is part of the broader conflict rooted in Israel’s capture of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Mideast war. While approximately 500,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank under Israeli military rule, the region is also home to about 3 million Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza overnight killed at least 16 people, including five women and three children. The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have been involved in efforts to broker a ceasefire deal that would include the release of the remaining hostages. However, while the U.S. remains hopeful that an agreement can be reached, negotiations have repeatedly stalled. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed “total victory” over Hamas, while the militant group has demanded a lasting ceasefire and complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
