Israeli deadly operation continues in West Bank's Jenin

The Israeli military said Tuesday it launched an operation in the occupied West Bank's Jenin, aimed to target militants in the city.

The Palestinian health ministry, based in Ramallah, said the operation killed 10 people, just days after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli statements

In a joint statement, the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security agency said they, alongside the Israeli Border Police, had launched an operation dubbed "Iron Wall" in Jenin.

In a statement released shortly after the operation's launch, Netanyahu said the raid aimed to "eradicate terrorism" in Jenin and was part of a broader strategy to counter Iran "wherever it sends its arms — in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen" and the West Bank.

The Israeli government has accused Iran, which backs armed groups across the Middle East, including Hamas in Gaza, of attempting to send weapons and money to militants in the West Bank.

Israeli military vehicles operate during an Israeli raid in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, January 22, 2025.Reuters

Concerns mount following Gaza ceasefire

The Palestinian Red Crescent said its first responders treated seven people injured by live ammunition and that Israeli forces were hindering their access to the area.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "maximum restraint" from security forces and said he "remains deeply concerned," his deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.

Israeli NGO B'Tselem accused the Israeli government of using the Gaza ceasefire as "an excuse and opportunity to ratchet up the oppression of West Bank Palestinians."

"This is not what a ceasefire looks like," it said.

'An invasion'

Jenin governor Kamal Abu al-Rub told AFP the operation was "an invasion of the (refugee) camp."

"It came quickly, Apache helicopters in the sky and Israeli military vehicles everywhere," he added.

An AFP journalist said Palestinian security forces, who had been conducting an operation against armed factions in the area since early December, left some of their positions around the camp before the arrival of Israeli forces.

He reported the frequent sound of explosions and gunfire echoing from the camp.

The spokesman for the Palestinian security forces, Anwar Rajab, said in a statement that Israeli forces had "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."

Two Palestinian doctors stand next to Israeli military vehicle during an Israeli raid, in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, January 21, 2025.Reuters

Frequent raids

Jenin and its refugee camp are known bastions of Palestinian militancy, and Israeli forces frequently launch raids against armed factions there.

In recent months, raids have increased in frequency and intensity in Jenin.

Military raids often feature bulldozers that dig up roads, in what Israel says is a way of removing buried explosives, often leaving whole neighborhoods cut off from each other.

Jenin's governor said several bulldozers had entered the city on Tuesday.

Violence has soared throughout the West Bank since the war in Gaza broke out on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 848 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, according to the health ministry.

At least 29 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military raids in the territory over the same period, according to Israeli official figures.