Israeli strikes in the West Bank have killed at least ten people, according to the Palestine Red Crescent.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have launched raids across the occupied West Bank and sealed off the city of Jenin in what the Israeli foreign minister described as a “full-fledged war” against “Islamic-Iranian terrorist infrastructures”.
Israeli forces surrounded the city, blocking off exit and entry points and access to hospitals, the governor of Jenin, Kamal Abu al Rub, said on Palestinian radio.
The Israeli military confirmed it was operating in the West Bank cities of Jenin and Tulkarm.
They were said to have blocked roads to a hospital with dirt barriers and surrounded other medical facilities in Jenin.
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Israeli soldiers from the Haruv Reconnaissance Unit of the Kfir Brigade in Tulkarm. Pic: IDF
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Raids took place in Tulkarm (pictured), Jenin and other areas. Pic: IDF
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The military operation was one of the biggest in the West Bank for months. Pic: IDF
The Palestinian government said hospitals were under siege and warned of “repercussions” over what it said were threats to storm them.
“Dozens of patients are currently being treated.. any incursion into them is a direct threat to the lives of patients and medical staff,” a statement added.
Seven people were killed early on Wednesday in Tubas, another West Bank city, and another two in Jenin, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Qassam Jabarin, 25, and Asem Balout, 39, were identified as the two people killed in Jenin, the ministry said.
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Israeli armoured vehicles on the streets of Jenin. Pic: AP
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Israeli forces say they recovered weapons from a ‘terrorist’ who opened fire at them in Jenin and was killed. Pic: IDF
Images from a morgue in Tubas show a number of dead from the latest West Bank attacks as it appeared the Israeli military was operating in a number of cities in the territory.
The armed wings of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah said in separate statements their gunmen were fighting Israeli forces in the three West Bank areas.
Clashes with the Israeli military in the West Bank have risen sharply since the 7 October attacks and subsequent invasion of Gaza, while Israeli settlers have also launched frequent vigilante-style attacks on Palestinian communities.
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Palestinians assess the damage of a car during a military operation by Israeli forces near Jenin. Pic: Reuters
Israel described the overnight operation as a “counter-terrorism” strike, and posting on X, minister for foreign affairs Israel Katz said: “The IDF has been operating with intensity since last night in the refugee camps of Jenin and Tulkarm to thwart Islamic-Iranian terrorist infrastructures that have been established there.”
He accused Iran of working to set up an “eastern terrorist front”.
Mr Katz added: “This is a full-fledged war, and we must win it.”
Unclear how long latest operation will last – but it’s biggest for some time
The IDF launched its latest military assault overnight in the West Bank on Tuesday. It is focused on the towns of Tulkarm and Jenin although other operations are ongoing elsewhere in the West Bank.
Israeli officials say they are acting against attempts by Iran to smuggle weapons and explosives into the West Bank and encourage terror attacks against Israelis.
The raids are not targeted at any specific militant group, although elements of Hamas and Islamic Jihad are one focus.
The IDF has used drones to strike targets and there are reports of helicopter gunships circling above Jenin. Roads in and out have been shut off and access to hospitals is blocked.
Violence in the West Bank, both attacks against Israelis but also IDF raids, has been on the rise since the start of 2023 and has increased further since 7 October.
Israel says more than 150 attacks have originated from the West Bank in the past eleven months.
A failed suicide bomb in Tel Aviv two weeks ago, which killed the attacker when it exploded in his rucksack and injured one other, is a dangerous development and has caused extreme concern in security circles.
It’s unclear how long this operation will last, the IDF is not putting a duration on it, nor are they saying how many soldiers are involved. But despite regular raids, sometimes daily, this is clearly one of the bigger operations for some time.
Five killed in Monday airstrike
Separately, the IDF said it had “eliminated five terrorists” operating in the area of Nur Shams, also in the West Bank, on Monday.
Among those dead, they named Jibril Jasan Ismail, who they said was released as part of “the agreement in November 2023” – the same time Israel and Hamas conducted a large-scale hostage swap.
“Also eliminated were the terrorists Mohanad Qarawi and Muhammad Yussef … and the terrorist Adnan Jaber,” the IDF added.
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The strike on Monday in the area of Nur Shams that killed five people. Pic: IDF
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Site of a drone strike in Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm.
Pic: Reuters
Thousands of Palestinians have been arrested in recent military raids in the West Bank, and at least 637 have been killed since the 7 October attacks, according to Palestinian health ministry figures.
Many of them are armed fighters but others are stone-throwing youths or uninvolved civilians.
At least 30 Israelis have been killed in attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank during the same period, according to Israeli tallies.
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At least 16 killed in Khan Younis
At least 16 more people have been killed in Israeli strikes within Gaza, Palestinian officials also said on Wednesday.
Five women and three children were among the dead in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Those killed include a brother and sister, and their relative, who died in their home in the east of the city, the Nasser Hospital said.
Meanwhile, in central Gaza, an Israeli airstrike late on Tuesday killed local journalist Mohamed Abdrabu and his sister.
Read more from Sky News:Israeli hostage rescued in ‘miraculous’ operationWhy danger of all-out war still lies ahead
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Mourners next to the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes at the Nasser Hospital. Pic: Reuters
Ceasefire talks ongoing
The latest round of Israeli attacks comes as the US, Egypt, and Qatar continue to try to mediate a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Despite recent optimism, including US President Joe Biden saying they were “closer than we’ve ever been” to a deal, a number of obstacles remain.
One sticking point is the ongoing presence of Israeli forces in Gaza, Sky News’ Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall said.
Israel wants to keep forces in the enclave for security and strategic reasons.
This includes preventing Hamas from rearming using routes such as the Philadelphi corridor – the border between Gaza and Egypt – which was used by the militant group for many years.
A total of 40,534 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military response there after the 7 October attacks, according to the Hamas-run health ministry there. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its figures.
Israel retaliated in Gaza after Hamas killed around 1,200 people and took hundreds more hostage.
