Jenin, West Bank – The Israeli military has launched a large-scale operation in three refugee camps in the Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas governorates in the occupied West Bank, marking its most significant offensive in the region since the Second Intifada in 2002.
The operation has involved airstrikes, the deployment of drones, bulldozers, and hundreds of ground troops, leading to rising casualties as fierce clashes continue between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters.
In Jenin and Tubas, at least nine Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air attacks, with the number of casualties expected to increase. According to Israeli media, the ongoing military operation is primarily concentrated in Tulkarem, where Israeli forces believe a group responsible for an attempted suicide bombing in Tel Aviv on August 18 is based.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad have claimed responsibility for the failed bombing attempt, which ended when the bomb exploded prematurely, killing the attacker.
Israeli military sources suggest that the raids, described as the most extensive in northern West Bank in years, may last for several days. The operation has involved significant destruction of civilian infrastructure, including the use of military bulldozers.
Gaza Under Fire
Israeli forces have intensified attacks on targets in central and southern Gaza, where at least 40 Palestinians have been killed in the past 24 hours. The escalation in both Gaza and the West Bank highlights Israel’s broader strategy to dismantle what it describes as “terrorist infrastructure” and exert greater control over the territories.
Humanitarian Concerns
Amidst the military offensive, humanitarian conditions have worsened. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has reported that Israeli authorities have blocked efforts to import 4,000 hygiene kits into Gaza for the past three months.
The kits, containing essential items such as soap, toothbrushes, and shampoo, are urgently needed in Khan Younis, where the lack of sanitation services has led to a surge in infectious skin diseases among children.
“The living conditions are tough,” said Dr. Youssef Salaf al-Farra, a pediatrician at an MSF-supported clinic in Khan Younis. “Every day, we see between 300 to 400 people at the medical clinic, of which 200 cases are related to skin conditions. Children are the most impacted, especially by highly contagious skin conditions.”
Israeli Strategy and Regional Tensions
Israel’s Minister of National Security, Israel Katz, emphasized the strategic significance of the West Bank in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
He argued that Iran is attempting to establish a new front against Israel in the West Bank by financing and arming militant groups, mirroring its strategies in Gaza and Lebanon. Katz called for decisive action, including “the temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents” if necessary, stating that “this is a war in every sense of the word.”
Hassan Barari, a professor of international affairs at Qatar University, believes that Israel’s current actions indicate a priority shift towards the West Bank, which it views as integral to its historical and biblical narrative.
“Israel’s objective number one is not Gaza; it is the West Bank,” Barari told Al Jazeera in an interview, suggesting that Israel aims to further assert control over the territory while facing growing resistance from a new generation of Palestinians born after the Second Intifada.
