Nine killed, more than 35 wounded, says Palestinian Ministry of Health, as violence rises in the occupied West Bank. At least nine Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.
The Israeli army said earlier on Tuesday that soldiers, police, and intelligence services launched a “counterterrorism action” but gave no further details. The identities of the victims are not immediately known. The Health Ministry said over 35 people have been injured.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) security forces said in a statement that the Israeli troops “opened fire on civilians and security forces, resulting in injuries to several civilians and several security personnel, one of whom is in critical condition.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation aimed to “eradicate terrorism.” An Israeli military spokesperson said the ongoing operation was dubbed the “Iron Wall.” Jenin Governor Kamal Abu al-Rub called the action “an invasion,” according to the AFP news agency.
“It came quickly,” he said. “Apache planes in the sky and Israeli military vehicles everywhere.” The attack in Jenin, where the Israeli army has carried out multiple raids and large-scale incursions in recent years, comes days after a ceasefire took effect in the Gaza Strip and underscores the threat of more violence in the West Bank.
Before the Israeli action, the PA’s security forces had been conducting a weeks-long operation to reassert control of the city of Jenin, as well as its refugee camp.
