At least nine Palestinians were killed overnight in a major Israeli raid in the West Bank, local health officials said.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Social media reported that Israeli forces were conducting counterterrorism operations in Tulkam and Jenin, as well as other parts of the region. Foreign Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Wednesday that Israeli forces had carried out operations to disrupt terrorist groups, suggesting that some residents may need to evacuate.
“The IDF has been working hard since last night in the Jenin and Tulkam refugee camps, dismantling the Iranian-Islamic terrorist infrastructure there,” Katz said in a statement. Social Media Platform X“Following the Gaza and Lebanon model, Iran is seeking to build an eastern terrorist front against Israel in Judea and Samaria by financing and arming terrorists and smuggling cutting-edge weaponry from Jordan.”
“We must meet this threat with the same determination as we did against the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, including by temporarily evacuating the Palestinian population and taking all necessary measures,” he added. “This is a war and we must win it.”
The Israel Defense Forces have been conducting frequent raids in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, sparking war in the region some 11 months ago. In a nighttime raid, Israeli forces sealed off Jenin's main hospital, a measure to prevent militants from evacuating, local health officials said. Reuters Reported.
Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said: I wrote to X He said the expansion of operations in both West Bank cities comes in the wake of increased terrorist activities that put at risk the lives of Israelis and Palestinians in the area.
“Our forces are currently operating in Jenin and Tulkarm regions, carrying out intelligence-based counter-terrorism operations to prevent further attacks on civilians,” Shoshani said.
The Palestinian news agency WAFA said: said Israel has imposed a curfew on the eastern area of Jenin and the army is already conducting interrogations there.
More than 600 Palestinians were killed and over 1,400 buildings destroyed in the West Bank. According to To the United Nations.
In its first offensive last fall, Hamas killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took about 250 hostage. Since then, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations in Gaza, according to local health officials, a figure that does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The raid comes as the United States and its regional allies try to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and release the remaining hostages.
