Israeli forces kill at least four people in the occupied West Bank

The Palestinian Authority (PA) reports that Israeli forces have caused the deaths of at least four Palestinians, including a 60-year-old woman, in the occupied West Bank. These incidents have heightened tensions in the region and sparked concern from the international community. The escalating violence underscores the urgent need for de-escalation and a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.

The Israeli military stated in a statement that on Tuesday, police special forces engaged in a gun battle in Jenin with armed Palestinians hiding in a house, resulting in two deaths and one injury. In a separate incident, a man who opened fire on Israeli soldiers was killed. The Palestinian Authority stated that soldiers shot and killed a 60-year-old woman from a checkpoint, but the Israeli military has not yet commented on this. Investigations are underway to determine the full circumstances surrounding each incident.

The Palestinian Authority also reported that the previous night, a Palestinian man was killed when he was hit by an Israeli military vehicle while riding a motorcycle. Furthermore, in another statement, the Palestinian Authority said that a man wanted for a previous incident was killed by Palestinian security forces, who accused him of firing at the security forces headquarters in Jenin. These incidents highlight the complex and volatile security situation in the region.

Since January, Israeli forces have launched a large-scale operation involving thousands of soldiers in the northern West Bank cities and refugee camps, resulting in the deaths of more than 30 Palestinians. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have fled their homes since the start of the Gaza ceasefire. Israeli forces have swept through Jenin and refugee camps in nearby cities, demolishing homes and infrastructure, including roads and water pipes. The extensive damage has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the affected areas.

Countries including France and Germany, as well as international organizations including the United Nations, have expressed shock at the scale of Israel's operations in the West Bank and have called for restraint. Israel has repeatedly stated that the operation is aimed at combating armed groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which have established strongholds in the crowded refugee camps built to house Palestinians and their descendants displaced during the establishment of Israel. Israel defends its actions as necessary for its security, while critics argue that they disproportionately harm civilians.

The Israeli military said in a statement on Tuesday that its forces arrested 35 people overnight in the West Bank, adding that weapons were seized during the operation. The statement said one detainee led soldiers to an area where he had planted an explosive device, without specifying the location, and said the device had been disposed of. In the southern West Bank, Israeli settlers attacked the village of Khallet an-Nabi, in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, assaulting residents and their property, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Wafa reported that settlers carrying clubs attacked the village under the protection of Israeli soldiers. Resident Mutab Rashid was beaten, while Ali Sabah Rashid and his wife were sprayed with pepper gas. Israeli soldiers arrested another resident, identified by Wafa as Ahmed Abdul-Muhsin Rashid. These incidents underscore the ongoing tensions and violence in the West Bank.