JENIN: Israeli forces continued their large-scale military operation in the West Bank for a fourth day on Saturday amid ongoing relentless Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip.
In the northern city of Jenin, clashes and explosions were reported as the Israeli military announced the deaths of two Palestinians who were allegedly preparing bombings in the southern West Bank.
The Israeli military described a vehicle explosion at a petrol station in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc as an attempted car bombing by an individual, who was killed in the incident. Furthermore, a security official in the Israeli settlement of Karmei Zur engaged in a car chase with an infiltrator, resulting in a collision and the detonation of an explosive device in a vehicle.
Since Wednesday, at least 20 Palestinians have been killed in simultaneous Israeli raids across several northern West Bank cities, with a focus on Jenin and its refugee camps. The death toll includes an 82-year-old man and two teenagers, with another 55 Palestinians wounded.
Violence has intensified in the West Bank following the October 7 Israeli’ war on Gaza. The United Nations reported that at least 637 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers since the start of the Gaza war. In contrast, 19 Israelis have died in Palestinian attacks or military operations.
Gaza civil defence agency reported 29 bodies recovered from rubble and numerous wounded. Israeli strikes on Friday killed three people near Khan Yunis and two in the Jabalia refugee camp.
International condemnation has increased, with Britain, France, and Spain expressing concern over the Israeli operations in the West Bank. The World Health Organization announced that Israel agreed to three days of “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza starting Sunday for vaccination efforts against a polio outbreak.
Since October 7, Israel’s war on Gaza has so far killed at least 40,602 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health authorities, with a majority being women and children.
The ongoing war has caused severe humanitarian crises, including massive displacement of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents. The UN humanitarian office reported a significant increase in denied access to humanitarian missions within Gaza in August compared to July.
