Israeli security forces launched a military operation on Tuesday in Jenin, a Palestinian town in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that has become a hotbed of militancy, just days after a temporary ceasefire was established in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the operation aimed to “eradicate terrorism” and would be “extensive and significant.” The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry said six people were killed and at least 35 injured in the first two hours of the operation.
It comes amid sharply rising tensions in the West Bank, where militants have gained power and settler violence against Palestinian civilians has skyrocketed.
On Monday, President Trump reversed sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on dozens of far-right Israeli individuals and settler groups accused of violence against Palestinians and seizure or destruction of Palestinian property.
The move came shortly after Mr. Trump took office, even as Jewish extremists attacked several Palestinian villages, burning vehicles and properties, according to Palestinian officials and the Israeli military.
The Palestinian Authority, which has limited control over parts of the West Bank, has carried out its own operation against armed militants in Jenin in recent weeks after largely leaving the region’s security to Israel. The Israeli military carried out deadly raids and drone strikes in the northern West Bank last year, targeting armed Palestinian militants. The raids ravaged the streets and left many Palestinian civilians in fear.
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