JENIN: Days after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip went into force, the Israeli military said on Tuesday that it had begun an operation in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.
Nine Palestinians were killed in the operation, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry.
Together with the Israeli Border Police, the military and Shin Bet security agency announced in a joint statement that they had begun an operation in Jenin called “Iron Wall.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a statement issued soon after the operation began that the attack was a component of a larger plan to combat Iran “wherever it sends its arms — in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen” and the West Bank.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, Israeli forces were obstructing their entry to the area as its first responders treated seven individuals who had been wounded by live ammunition.
Kamal Abu al-Rub, the governor of Jenin, described the action to AFP as “an invasion of the (refugee) camp.” He continued, “It came quickly, with Israeli military vehicles everywhere and Apache helicopters in the sky.”
Palestinian security forces, who have been fighting armed groups in the region since early December, reportedly abandoned part of their positions near the camp before to the arrival of Israeli soldiers, according to an AFP journalist.
He reported hearing gunfire and explosions coming from the camp on a regular basis.
Israeli troops “opened fire on civilians and security forces, resulting in injuries to several civilians and a number of security personnel, one of whom is in critical condition,” according to a statement released by Anwar Rajab, the spokesman for the Palestinian security forces.
According to the governor of Jenin, a number of bulldozers arrived in the city on Tuesday.
Resignation
Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, the leader of Israel’s military, resigned on Tuesday after being held accountable for the IDF’s “failure” during the October 7, 2023, attack by the Palestinian organization Hamas.
Halevi resigned “due to my acknowledgement of responsibility for the (military’s) failure on October 7,” according to his letter of resignation, which the army made public. Although he acknowledged that “not all” of Israel’s war objectives had been met, he claimed that he was departing during a period of “significant successes” for the IDF.
The commander of Israel’s southern military command, which is in charge of Gaza, Major General Yaron Finkelman, also resigned.
“Good faith”
Days into a precarious truce in the Palestinian territory mediated by the Gulf state, Qatar’s prime minister stated on Tuesday that Israel and Hamas must behave in “good faith” if a permanent peace in Gaza is to be achieved.
“This will last and hopefully lead to phase two, which will lead to a permanent ceasefire if they are embarking in this in good faith,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani told the World Economic Forum in Davos.