Israeli Forces Launch Largest Raid In Israel In Over 20 Years

On Monday evening, the conflict in a refugee camp located in Jenin, a city within the West Bank, continued into its second night. In the midst of this turmoil, ambulances navigated makeshift roadblocks to transport the wounded, while flaming tires emitted thick, noxious black smoke into the air.

Israel's military conducted its most extensive incursion into a Palestinian city in the West Bank since 2002, aiming to eradicate opposition and dismantle their weapon stockpiles and explosive facilities.

The strikes resulted in at least eight fatalities and involved hundreds of troops engaged in intense gun battles throughout the day.

The Jenin Brigades, composed of militant groups from the city's crowded refugee camp, claimed to have engaged Israeli forces, successfully downing one of the drones.

Not unprecedented, but rare

Although Israel has killed hundreds of Palestinians over the last few years, large-scale operations of this magnitude have been rare in Jenin since the end of the second Intifada uprising twenty years ago. The city and the adjoining camp witnessed at least six drones circling overhead, with gunfire and explosives echoing through the area.

The densely packed camp, accommodating approximately 14,000 refugees in less than half a square kilometer, has been a focal point of escalating violence across the West Bank. Despite mounting concerns from the international community, political negotiations remain stagnant after a decade of standstill.

The region has been marred by routine army raids, deadly violence by Palestinians against Israelis, and more deadly attacks by Jewish settler mobs in Palestinian villages. The situation has transformed the refugee camp into a war zone.

Khaled Alahmad, a Palestinian ambulance driver, described the day's events as a "real war," recounting strikes from the sky and a constant influx of injured individuals requiring medical attention.

The Palestinian health ministry confirmed the death toll of at least eight individuals and over 50 injuries in Jenin, with an additional fatality in Ramallah.

Israeli military’s tactical goals

Israeli military sources stated that their forces targeted a building serving as a command center for Jenin Brigades fighters, aiming to dismantle infrastructure and disrupt the use of the refugee camp as a base.

As the operation continues, the Israeli military faces stretched resources and emphasize the necessity of sustained effort. The use of drones, which had not been employed in the West Bank since 2006, highlights the growing scale of violence and the pressure on ground forces.

The significance of the operation underscores the Jenin camp's role in the ongoing violence, exposing the Palestinian Authority's limited control over towns in the West Bank. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the operation as a war crime, while the camp remains a war zone.

Multiple Middle East nations condemn Israel

Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement strongly condemning Israel's recurrent assaults and incursions on Palestinian cities, and Jordan has categorically denied receiving any advance notification of Israel's large-scale raid on Palestinian factions in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

Amid escalating violence, Jordan has called for an immediate cessation of Israeli operations. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht claimed that Jordanian counterparts were informed about the move through "strategic communications," but declined to provide further details.

However, a spokesperson for the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the claim as "completely untrue."

Jordan has consistently urged Israel, both publicly and directly, to halt all incursions and military actions against Palestinians.

The spokesperson emphasized that resolving the growing tensions in the occupied territories requires a comprehensive political process, offering hope, and political horizons, and relieving economic burdens on Palestinians.

On the contrary, Iran has stated its belief that Palestinians can only achieve their objectives in the long-standing territorial conflict with Israel through the use of force.

The Iranian Mission to the United Nations conveyed that, in Iran's assessment, negotiations would not enable Palestinians to regain their rights from the Israeli regime, which they claim only responds to force.

Consequently, Iran has expressed its support for any appeal for assistance from the Palestinian resistance.

In reality, these brazen violent Israeli raids only add more fuel to the fire between the West and its Middle Eastern allies, further jeopardizing possible normalization talks between the U.S., and Saudi Arabia.

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