MIDDEN-OOSTEN
Israëel voert militaire operatie uit op Westelijke Jordaanoever (1)
July 3, 2023 - There have been Israeli drone strikes and gun battles between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Jenin, after Israel launched a major military operation in the West Bank.
Launched early on Monday, the raid involving hundreds of commandos and air strikes prompted the internationally backed Palestinian administration to say it was suspending contacts with Israel and stirred U.S. and UN humanitarian concerns.
Israel says the objective is to uproot Iranian-backed Palestinian factions behind a surge in gun and bomb attacks as well as preliminary efforts to make rockets.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said it had evacuated around 3,000 people from the camp, where some 14,000 people live in less than half a square kilometre and which has been one of the focal points of a wave of violence that has swept the West Bank for more than a year.
Meanwhile, a Palestinian rammed a pickup truck into pedestrians in Tel Aviv and then went on a stabbing rampage on Tuesday in an attack claimed by the Hamas militant group that Israeli authorities said wounded eight people. Hamas said the attack was in retaliation for the ongoing military raid in Jenin, according to Reuters.
- Jenin: Israeli military launches major operation in West Bank city (BBC)
- Israel signals Jenin raid close to completion, 10 Palestinians dead (Reuters)
- Nine Palestinians killed as Israel attacks Jenin refugee camp (Al Jazeera)
- Jenin attacks (Washington Post)
- Eight hurt in Palestinian car-ramming, stabbing in Tel Aviv (Reuters)