Deadly Confrontations Persist As Israel’s West Bank Operation Reaches Day Four

Deadly Confrontations Persist As Israel’s West Bank Operation Reaches Day Four

Israel’s large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank continued into its fourth day on Saturday, amidst intense fighting in the nearly 11-month Gaza war. The Israeli military reported that two Palestinians were killed overnight in the southern West Bank while preparing to carry out bombings.

As clashes and explosions persisted in Jenin, a northern city known for its strong militant presence, Hamas praised what it called a “heroic operation” at a sensitive time during Israel’s operations in the region. The militant group Islamic Jihad, allied with Hamas, also expressed support for what it described as a “coordinated attack.”

An Israeli army statement described a vehicle explosion at a petrol station in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc as an attempted car bombing by a terrorist, who was later killed. The explosion resulted in injuries to an army officer and a reservist officer.

A second incident involved a car chase in the Israeli settlement of Karmei Zur, leading to a confrontation and the detonation of an explosive device in the terrorist’s car.

Since Wednesday, the Israeli military has intensified raids in several northern West Bank cities, resulting in at least 20 Palestinian deaths, most of whom were militants. The city of Jenin and its refugee camps, known as bastions of Palestinian armed groups, have seen particularly heavy fighting.

According to the UN, the ongoing conflict has resulted in at least 637 Palestinian deaths in the West Bank since the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023, with 19 Israelis also killed in related incidents.

In Gaza, Israel continues its offensive in response to Hamas’s attack on October 7, which led to significant casualties and a humanitarian crisis in the territory. Gaza’s civil defence reported pulling 29 bodies from the rubble on Saturday morning, with many more wounded.

The conflict has drawn international concern, with Britain, France, and Spain expressing worries about the violence in the West Bank. The World Health Organization announced a temporary humanitarian pause in Gaza to facilitate a polio vaccination drive amidst the ongoing conflict.