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Israel stepped up its military operations in the West Bank on Wednesday, killing at least nine Palestinians and isolating the city of Jenin, Palestinian officials reported. It was one of a series of daily Israeli raids since the conflict escalated from Gaza on October 7.
Palestinian armed factions reported clashes with Israeli forces during these operations. The governor of Jenin province said on Palestinian radio that Israeli forces had surrounded the city and blocked all entrances and exits. pointdamage to local infrastructure and limit people’s access to medical facilities.
The Israeli military acknowledged that it was operating in the West Bank cities of Jenin and Tulkarem, but did not provide further details.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israeli actions have killed at least 652 Palestinians in the West Bank since the Gaza war broke out more than 10 months ago, with most of the casualties occurring in Israeli military raids.
Israel argues the operations are essential to dismantling Hamas and other militant groups and protecting its citizens from increasing attacks since the start of the war.
In the latest incidents, a hospital in Tubas received seven bodies and a hospital in Jenin received two bodies, including two from Jenin, namely 25-year-old Kassan Jabarin and 39-year-old Assem Balut.
The events are set against the historical backdrop of the 1967 Middle East war, after which Israel took control of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, areas claimed by the Palestinians as areas for a future state. Currently, more than 500,000 Jewish settlers live in numerous settlements in the West Bank with Israeli citizenship, while about 3 million Palestinians live under Israeli military rule, with the Palestinian Authority having limited authority over urban areas.
The Gaza war began on October 7 when Hamas militants invaded southern Israel, causing heavy casualties and kidnappings. Israel’s retaliatory attacks have killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, but it did not specify how many militants were involved. The conflict has displaced about 90% of Gaza’s population, with aerial bombardments and ground operations causing massive damage.
The latest Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip have killed at least 16 people, including women and children, mainly in the Khan Yunis neighborhood, which has been under heavy bombing for two months. The casualty figures were confirmed by reporters at two hospitals.
For months, the United States, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to broker a ceasefire to secure the release of the remaining hostages. However, those talks have repeatedly hit roadblocks, exacerbated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s promise of a decisive victory over Hamas and the militant group’s demands for a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from disputed territory. Despite extensive discussions in Egypt, the talks moved to Qatar this week without any discernible progress.
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