Israeli army continues military operation in Jenin amid West Bank tension

According to witnesses, the Israeli army raided several neighborhoods in the Jenin refugee camp and shelled several sites in the area.

Sounds of gunfire and explosions were heard as Israeli bulldozers destroyed infrastructure and shops in the camp, witnesses said.

At least 10 Palestinians were killed and 40 others injured during the Israeli operation on Tuesday, the Health Ministry said.

The Israeli army said that the Jenin operation, code-named "Iron Wall," is expected to last several days.

Israeli media said that the Jenin operation was an attempt by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to appease his Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who opposes the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Netanyahu promised Smotrich to launch an attack on Jenin in return for him staying in the government.

Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank due to Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, where at least 47,000 victims have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 110,700 injured since Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 870 Palestinians have since been killed and over 6,700 injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, suspending the Israeli war on the Palestinian enclave.

In July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.