Eleven Palestinians, including a minor, died this Wednesday and more than a hundred were wounded by Israeli army shells during a military operation in the West Bank city of Nablus, where they were looking for members of a terrorist cell preparing an “imminent attack”. It is the most violent day in the area in recent years.
The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Ministry of Health initially confirmed the deaths of the ten Palestinians included there is a minor of 16 years and a senior of 72 yearsand then denounced the death of another man, aged 66, who died of respiratory complications caused by tear gas fired during the military raid.
According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, among the 102 wounded there are at least six who are in serious condition. And he remarked that two journalists who were following the intervention they were shot during the operation, but that they are out of danger.
Israeli Police, Army and Internal Security Service (Shin Bet) have indicated their forces have entered Nablus “with the aim of apprehending suspects involved in impending attacksagainst the Israelis. According to a joint statement, soldiers surrounded a residence where the suspects were staying, who responded by opening fire and throwing explosives at the troops.
the operative
Israeli forces killed the three Palestinians they were looking for, according to the part. They identified them as Hossam Aslim, Muhamad Fatah and Walid Dahil. In addition to the firefight with the wanted suspects, the army said other Palestinian gunmen opened fire, threw stones and petrol bombs at its troops, who responded with gunfire.
At least four of the Palestinians killed they have been identified as militiamen belonging to various armed groupsincluding two from Palestinian Islamic Jihad (YIP), considered a terrorist group by Israel, the United States and the European Union.
The most radicalized Palestinian groups responded quickly with threats. “It won’t be long before the enemy knows it once again Palestinian blood is not cheapand that our people do not remain silent in the face of constant attacks against them,” said Daoud Shehab, one of the leaders of Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.
On the other hand, a spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamist movement Hamas -which rules in the Strip-, warned that “the patience of the Palestinian resistance in Gaza It’s finishing”.
Mohamed Shtayeh, prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority, which governs the West Bank and is much questioned by the population, described the raid as “organized terrorism” and denounced that Israel seeks to transfer its internal political crisis to the conflict with the Palestinians.
tensions
Wednesday’s incidents take place amid a sharp escalation of violence in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which it has already claimed the lives of 59 Palestinians and 11 Israelis so far in 2023.
Many of these deaths occurred during armed clashes triggered by Israeli military operations in Occupied West Bankas well as deadly attacks by Palestinians on Israelis.
Interventions like yesterday’s have become almost daily since the end of March last year, when Israel launched the so-called operation “Break the wave”in response to a series of deadly attacks by Palestinians or Israeli Arabs.
The most frequent focus of these operations is the northern West Bank, especially the cities of Nablus and Jenin, which host small but major local armed groups that have formed in recent years. These new organizations were born in an atmosphere of disillusionment with the Hamas authorities and the Palestinian National Authority.
There is also a situation of internal political crisis in Israel, where progressive sectors are questioning the new far-right government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The current authorities not only encourage the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied areas, but also promote judicial reform that would reduce the powers of the judiciary.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.