Jenin, MINA – At least seven Palestinians have been killed and 35 others injured so far in a massive raid by Israeli occupation forces into the occupied West Bank town of Jenin and its refugee camp that was expected to be ongoing.
The Health Ministry said in a statement that the injured, with varying degrees of injuries, were taken to Ibn Sina, Al-Amal and Al-Shifa hospitals, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Tuesday.
The death toll is likely to rise, the agency said, as the raid continues and the army prevents ambulances from reaching the wounded.
A military source told The Times of Israel that the large-scale operation was “expected to last at least several days.”
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“Large numbers of troops, including special forces, Shin Bet agents, and Border Police officers are now operating in the city,” the paper said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on X: “On the directive of the Security Cabinet, the IDF, the ISA and the Israel Police have today begun an extensive and significant military operation to defeat terrorism in Jenin – ‘Iron Wall’.
Netanyahu claimed it was “an additional step in achieving the objective we have set: bolstering security in Judea & Samaria (West Bank – PC).”
“We are acting methodically and with determination against the Iranian axis wherever it reaches: in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Judea & Samaria – and we are still active,” he added.
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Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee confirmed on X: “Name of the operation in Jenin: The Iron Wall,” and said that the operation was launched “to thwart terrorist activities in Jenin.”
Israeli warplanes were being used in the raid as the military stormed the area with several military vehicles early in the day. Palestinian Resistance forces activated sirens in Jenin following the discovery of an Israeli army special forces unit in the area, according to Palestinian sources.
The raid coincided with Israeli drones bombing an empty vehicle near Al-Zahraa School in the vicinity of Jenin camp, while Apache helicopters fired into the skies over the refugee camp.
Army snipers were also deployed in the Al-Hadaf neighborhood in Jenin camp and opened heavy fire at residents.
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Before the Israeli assault began, the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces had been conducting a weeks-long operation, claiming it aimed to reassert control of the city as well as the refugee camp. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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