Topline
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called for expanded military operations in the West Bank as the country’s forces conducted a series of major raids and air strikes in the occupied territory on Wednesday, which Palestinian authorities say have resulted in at least nine deaths so far.
Key Facts
According to the Associated Press, the Israeli military confirmed its operations in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank—with the governor of Jenin announcing on local radio that the IDF had surrounded the city and closed off all main roads.
The Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, said the raids have resulted in at least nine deaths—two in Jenin and seven in the city of Tubas.
In an earlier statement, the Israeli military said it had killed five terrorists in an airstrike near the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem.
Katz also confirmed the Israeli raid into refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarm in an X post, saying the IDF is working to dismantle the “Iranian-backed terror network” in the West Bank.
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Citing a military source, the Times of Israel reported that the IDF’s raid in the West Bank is expected to last several days.
News Peg
In his post confirming the West Bank raids, the Israeli foreign minister suggested more should be done to deal with the “threat” in the West Bank, the same “as we deal with terror infrastructure in Gaza.” Katz suggested this should include the “temporary evacuation of Palestinian civilians” from the West Bank and “any other step needed.” Katz claims Iran was attempting to establish another front against Israel in the West Bank following the “model it used in Lebanon and Gaza, by financing and arming terrorists and smuggling advanced weapons from Jordan.”
Big Number
652. That is the total number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza in October last year, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. In Gaza, more than 40,400 people have died since the start of the conflict, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. The death toll numbers do not separate combatants and non-combatants, however, in May the UN said at least 56% of the victims are women and children.
Key Background
The strikes and raids in the West Bank come amid concerns of an expanded conflict in the region as a ceasefire in Gaza remains distant. Over the weekend, Israel conducted airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, claiming it was a preemptive action to prevent an attack by the Iran-backed militant group. Hezbollah responded to the strikes by firing multiple rockets into Israel, raising fears of an all-out war between the two sides.
Further Reading
Palestinian officials say Israeli raids across the occupied West Bank have killed 9 (Associated Press)
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