Israeli army launches deadly attack on Jenin refugee camp in West Bank

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Israeli army launches deadly attack on Jenin refugee camp in West Bank

At least two Palestinians killed, 25 wounded in an attack on the camp.

Jenin and the wider West Bank face the threat of more violence despite the ceasefire in Gaza (File: AFP)

Published On 21 Jan 202521 Jan 2025

At least two Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.

The Israeli army said earlier on Tuesday that soldiers, police and intelligence services launched a counterterrorism action, but gave no further details.

The identity of those killed was not immediately clear.

A Palestinian security forces spokesman said in a statement that Israeli forces “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”.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the operation aimed to “eradicate terrorism”. A spokesman for the Israeli military said that the ongoing operation was dubbed “Iron Wall”.

Jenin governor Kamal Abu al-Rub called the action “an invasion of the camp,” according to the AFP news agency.

“It came quickly,” he said. “Apache planes in the sky and Israeli military vehicles everywhere.”

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Health officials said at least 25 other people were wounded by Israeli attacks on Tuesday.

Threat

The attack in Jenin, where the Israeli army has carried out multiple raids and large-scale incursions in recent years, comes just days after a ceasefire took effect in Gaza, and underscores the threat of more violence in the West Bank.

Before the Israeli action, the Palestinian Authority’s security forces had been conducting a weeks-long operation to reassert control of the city of Jenin, as well as the refugee camp.

Last week, an Israeli air raid on the refugee camp killed at least three Palestinians and wounded many more.

On Monday, Israeli settlers set vehicles and properties on fire under the protection of Israeli forces while also injuring at least 21 Palestinians across the West Bank.

The Israeli military said it has opened an investigation into the incident, which it said involved dozens of Israeli civilians, some in masks.

Source: Al Jazeera