At least 20 killed in three-day Israeli military operation in West Bank

At least 20 Palestinians have been killed in three days as Israel launches a massive manhunt for armed faction fighters in the West Bank, the Israeli army and regional authorities reported yesterday, as violence in the region continues to escalate in cycles since the start of the war.

The United Nations warned this week that Israel’s operations in the West Bank, which began on Wednesday, “exacerbated an already explosive situation in the territory occupied by Israel since 1967.” The intervention included bombings and raids with armored convoys on the cities of Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, Tulkarm and two refugee camps.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the Israeli army seeks to “destroy the Iranian Islamic terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian territories,” which are separated from the Gaza Strip by Israeli territory.

The Israeli army and the health ministry of the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, reported that 20 Palestinians were killed in the operation. Hamas and Islamic Jihad said at least 13 of the dead were members of their armed groups.

The Israeli army said yesterday it had killed four Hamas militants in a bombing raid in Jenin following a drone strike that targeted a car in Zababdeh, southeast of the West Bank city.

The IDF identified one of the victims as Jenin Hamas leader Wassem Hazem, according to army, security and police statements about the operation.

“Hazem was involved in carrying out and directing gun and bomb attacks and was continuously carrying out terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria,” the statement said.

The West Bank operation is taking place in parallel with the war against Hamas in Gaza, which was sparked by an October 7 terror attack by the Palestinian faction in southern Israel.

Reaction. Israel’s actions have drawn a response from the international community, including from Israel’s traditional allies.

Britain said yesterday it was “deeply concerned by the methods used by Israel” and reports of civilian deaths. France condemned the actions as “fostering an unprecedented climate of instability and violence”, while Spain called the situation “unacceptable”.

The Spanish government has demanded that Israel stop its military actions, insisting on the need to respect international legitimacy and calling for a “de-escalation” of the conflict. “Israel’s military actions, which extend violence into the West Bank, are extremely serious and must cease,” the Madrid Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Israeli military incursions are common in the West Bank, but it is unusual for them to occur in multiple cities simultaneously.

“Too many innocent Palestinian lives have been lost,” Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for the White House, lamented on Thursday.

Vaccinations. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative for the West Bank and Gaza, said that in the context of the conflict, the United Nations and the parties had reached a temporary humanitarian pause agreement to allow polio vaccinations in the Gaza Strip.

“During the vaccination campaign, we made initial commitments on specific humanitarian policies. We invited all parties to pause the fighting to allow safe access to health facilities for children and families,” he said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that the measure did not amount to a “ceasefire.”

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Brussels was ready to send a delegation to the Rafah border in the southern Gaza Strip. “We have the capacity, human capital, organization and resources. But this must be done with the consent and participation of the Palestinian Authority and not certain Palestinians. This is also a request from the Egyptian side,” Borrell said. “As long as there is an agreement and Israel accepts the mission of operating in the presence of the Palestinian Authority, we will be there,” Borrell added.