Occupation army announces start of comprehensive operation in the West Bank
Agencies3 min read
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The Israeli occupation army announced, on Friday evening, the start of a military operation in the West Bank that will last for several days, coinciding with incursions into Palestinian cities and towns, including Hebron, Nablus, Tubas, the town of Aqaba to its north, and Qalqilya.
The occupation army said in a statement that the operation targets dozens of areas across the West Bank, noting that the operation in Hebron focuses on searching the area from which the perpetrators of the Hebron attack set out, to uncover weapons and infrastructure, with the participation of the Israeli intelligence agency (Shin Bet) and border guard forces.
It added that residents in the operation area will be able to leave through 3 exits, after undergoing security screening and interrogation.
In the same context, occupation forces stormed Palestinian cities and towns, and carried out house raids and arrests, amid a wide deployment of military vehicles, while firing flares into the sky over the city of Hebron and beginning to evacuate homes in the Jalda area.
The Palestinian news agency "Wafa" reported, citing security sources, that the occupation forces, reinforced by vehicles and bulldozers, stormed several areas in Hebron, including the "Deir Bahah," Jalda roundabout, and Nimra areas, and began raiding and searching citizens' homes.
Hebron Governorate witnessed a complete lockdown, while universities and schools announced they would close their doors on Saturday, and the Transport and Communications Union issued a statement regarding the suspension of vehicle movement, to preserve the lives of citizens and prevent them from being exposed to danger at the military checkpoints set up by the occupation forces in the governorate.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his government is considering launching a broad military operation in the occupied West Bank, the largest since the 1967 war, following an attack near Hebron that resulted in the death of two Israeli soldiers and the injury of others.
Netanyahu added, during a visit to Hebron, that the proposed operation includes evacuating residents from the neighborhood from which the two attackers set out, searching homes, and destroying what he described as "terrorist infrastructure," noting that the timing of its implementation has not yet been determined.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for launching a broad operation in the West Bank similar to the operations in the Gaza Strip, demanding the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority and the collection of weapons, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for dismantling the Authority and disarming it.
In contrast, Hamas praised the attack, describing it as a "qualitative heroic operation," without claiming responsibility for it, considering it a response to what it described as continuous Israeli attacks against Palestinians.
The Israeli human rights organization "B'Tselem" called for pressure to be exerted to prevent the forced displacement of Palestinians, collective punishment, and widespread destruction in Hebron, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his concern over the Israeli closures and their impact on the livelihoods of Palestinians, calling for an end to violence from all parties.
The occupied West Bank has been witnessing continuous escalation since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip in 2023. At least 1,113 Palestinians have been martyred by Israeli soldiers or settlers during this period, while official Israeli data indicates that at least 49 Israelis have been killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians or during confrontations with Israeli forces.
