WEST BANK: Israel launched a large-scale navy operation on Wednesday (Aug 28) within the occupied West Financial institution, the place the military mentioned it killed 9 Palestinian fighters, whereas the practically 11-month Gaza battle confirmed no signal of abating.
Violence has surged within the West Financial institution through the Gaza battle sparked by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas’s unprecedented Oct 7 assaults on Israel final 12 months.
The battle has killed greater than 40,000 individuals in Gaza, in response to the Hamas-run territory’s well being ministry. It has additionally triggered widespread destruction within the Palestinian territory, displaced practically all of its 2.4 million individuals not less than as soon as and triggered a humanitarian crisis.
Within the West Financial institution within the early hours of Wednesday, the Israeli navy launched a collection of coordinated raids throughout 4 cities – Jenin, Nablus, Tubas and Tulkarem.
The military mentioned it was finishing up a “counter-terrorism operation” involving air strikes, floor forces and bulldozers.
The Palestinian Pink Crescent mentioned the Israeli forces killed not less than 10 individuals, together with two Palestinians in Jenin, 4 in a close-by village and 4 extra in a refugee camp close to Tubas. Fifteen others have been wounded.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas reduce brief a go to to Saudi Arabia and headed residence to “comply with up on the newest developments in gentle of the Israeli aggression on the northern West Financial institution”, Palestinian official media mentioned.
The Israeli military mentioned it had killed 9 Palestinian “terrorists” in its ongoing operation, including that up to now there have been no casualties on the Israeli aspect.
Troopers encountered explosives and have been participating in exchanges of dwell fireplace with militants, it mentioned.
“We’ve met explosives already within the first hours, and we now have met real-time fireplace exchanged with terrorists participating in battle,” spokesman Nadav Shoshani instructed reporters.
The troops have been concentrating on a “combination of terror teams and terror cells”, he mentioned, declining to say what number of have been concerned or how lengthy the operation would final.
Shoshani mentioned the present operation was not “extraordinarily totally different (from normal military exercise within the space) or particular”.
