- Israeli assault on West Bank continues into third day
- Three killed as Israeli forces strike vehicle near Jenin
- Widespread destruction in refugee camps, infrastructure targeted
Israel’s heaviest military assault in two decades on the occupied West Bank has entered its third day, with the army and bulldozers leaving a trail of destruction after firing live ammunition and tear gas.
Witnesses reported three individuals were killed early Friday when Israeli soldiers assaulted a car in the hamlet of Zababdeh, south of Jenin.
According to Israel’s military, one of its aircraft “attacked a terrorist squad” after an “encounter with security forces” there. Footage from the aftermath of the impact shows a car engulfed in flames.
The Jenin Battalion of al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, previously stated that its militants had engaged in “fierce clashes” with Israeli soldiers in Jenin.
According to the Israeli army, among those slain was Wassam Hazem, Hamas’s leader in Jenin. There was no instant confirmation from the Palestinian side.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Israeli troops barred ambulances from reaching the scene of the incident.
Israeli forces withdrew late Thursday night from Tulkarem and its two refugee camps, ending a 48-hour assault that killed four people and destroyed civilian property and infrastructure.
Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim reported from the Nur Shams refugee camp that Palestinian Civil Defence personnel were working to repair some of the damage caused by the Israeli raid, with ruined roadways complicating any movement.
If Palestinians fix one water line here, one electricity line there, the Israeli forces might be back very soon to ruin them again,” she said. She continued: “Palestinians say Israel wants to make sure their lives, particularly in the refugee camps, get more complicated, giving them no option but to leave.
Israeli soldiers also evacuated the Far’a refugee camp south of Tubas, where four individuals were murdered and civilian property and infrastructure destroyed.
While Jenin, Tulakrem, and Tubas – all towns in the northern West Bank – have seen the most bloodshed, Israeli soldiers have also targeted other areas. These include Nablus and the adjoining Balata refugee camp, Anabta town east of Tulkarem, Husan village west of Bethlehem, and parts of the Hebron Governorate.
Wafa reported on Friday that the Israeli soldiers arrested at least five Palestinians near Hebron and Ramallah.
Palestinian health officials and rights groups claim at least 20 Palestinians, including children, have been killed since the Israeli incursion began on Wednesday. The Israeli army claims it killed 12 Palestinian fighters.
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The Israeli military claims to be targeting members of armed groups, and firefights between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters have occurred in various areas.
However, people claim that Israeli troops are purposefully assaulting refugee camps while also destroying roads and infrastructure. Some think that the long-term objective is to drive Palestinians out of their homes.
In Tulkarem, activist Hussein al-Sheikh Ali said, “The Israelis are creating an environment that pushes people out, destroying infrastructure almost completely, and cutting electricity and water – they want to leave people with nothing so that they would ultimately have no option but to leave on their own.”
However, Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim added, “People talk about defiance a lot.” They believe Israeli forces intend to make their lives more difficult… That is precisely why they have decided to stay.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called on Wednesday for the “temporary evacuation” of Palestinians from the West Bank to fight armed groups, a statement that activists warn could lead to the territory suffering the same fate as Gaza in terms of massive destruction and displacement.
