Major Clash in West Bank of Israel-Palestine... "Largest Scale in 20 Years"

The right-wing coalition in Israel, regarded as the most extreme right-wing government in history, has ignited the powder keg of the Middle East by launching a large-scale military operation aimed at eradicating armed groups in the West Bank.

Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), announced in a statement on the 3rd (local time) that "all contacts with Israel, including security cooperation, will be suspended." This was in response to the Israeli military's large-scale operation in the Jenin refugee camp area in the northern West Bank.

The Israeli military, which began the operation at 1 a.m. that day, conducted airstrikes using drone missiles on streets and buildings within the Jenin refugee camp and deployed hundreds of ground troops to engage in fierce clashes with Palestinian armed groups.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) noted, "Israeli airstrikes on the West Bank have become more frequent this year, but airstrikes involving drones are very rare."

An Israeli military official explained that the operation focused on eradicating armed groups within the refugee camp, which houses about 17,000 residents. According to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Health, at least eight people were killed and around 80 injured during the operation. As the military operation continues, casualties are expected to rise.

The Jenin refugee camp targeted by the Israeli military is a major hideout for Palestinian armed groups resisting Israel. Since last year, Israeli military searches have been frequent there, often resulting in violent incidents. The Israeli military reported arresting about 20 armed group members on site and seizing over 100 weapons, including rockets.

The Israeli military deployed its largest force since the 2000 Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule. The military explained that they focused on striking locations where Palestinian armed groups gather after attacks on Israel, including observation posts, weapons storage facilities, and communication centers.

Since Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power through last year's general election by forming a coalition with far-right forces, there have been growing expectations that the Israel-Palestine conflict will intensify.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right politician who was a key figure in Netanyahu's return, is an ultra-right leader who has advocated for the expansion of settlements in Palestinian territories, which the international community considers illegal, and for unilateral territorial annexation.

Foreign media have observed that "Ben-Gvir has been at the forefront of supporting violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and he is expected to ultimately attempt a complete annexation of the West Bank."

This year alone, military clashes between Israel and Palestine in the West Bank have resulted in the deaths of more than 140 Palestinians, marking the highest number of casualties.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

After the airstrikes began, Prime Minister Netanyahu attended an Independence Day event at the U.S. Embassy in Israel and said, "Recently, Jenin has become a hotbed of terrorism. Israel is putting an end to the terrorist hideouts in Jenin."

He added, "Anyone who tries to harm Israelis belongs either in prison or in a grave," emphasizing, "We will continue the operation until the end."

Israel stated that it informed the United States in advance about the large-scale West Bank operation. The White House issued a statement saying, "We are closely monitoring the situation in the West Bank" and "We support Israel's right to security and protecting its citizens."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.