Netanyahu insists that the ‘Iron Wall’ operation aims to ‘eliminate terrorism’ in the city. Hamas has called for a “general mobilization” in the West Bank to “face the aggression of the occupation.”
Israel launched a new operation against the West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday and has already killed at least eight Palestinians, according to Palestinian authorities, who put the total number of wounded at 35.
“Eight martyrs and more than 35 injured as a result of the occupation’s aggression against Jenin,” the Palestinian Authority-affiliated Health Ministry said, after initially confirming one death as a result of an Israeli bombardment of the city.
According to information from the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israeli forces entered the city from the Al Jalamé checkpoint and deployed in several areas of the city, including a siege of a house in the Jenin camp.
Shortly before, the Israeli military had published a statement saying that “the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the Shin Bet and the Border Guard have launched an anti-terrorism operation in Jenin,” which it called the “Iron Wall.”
In this context, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that this operation, which he described as “extensive and important”, aims to “eliminate terrorism in Jenin”. “This is another step toward achieving the goal we have set for ourselves: strengthening security in Judea and Samaria,” he said, using the biblical name for the West Bank.
Condemnations of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas
The operation has already been condemned by Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa, who has criticized “the aggressive Israeli measures,” including the “occupation’s aggression against the city of Jenin and its displaced persons camp,” as reported by Wafa.
In this sense, the Chairman of the Palestinian National Council, Rauhi Fatú, has condemned the Israeli operation in Jenin, stating that “it is part of Israel’s preparations to annex large parts of the West Bank.”
Fatou has argued that Israel is taking “measures that include isolating cities, establishing checkpoints and imposing an exhaustive siege” in the West Bank, which he has asked the new US president, Donald Trump, and the international community to do “to intervene immediately to prevent the intensification of Israeli aggression”.
For its part, Hamas has called for a “general mobilization” in the West Bank to “counter the aggression of the occupation in Jenin and support the resistance fighters.”
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
