At least 5 people were killed and 28 were injured in the latest Israeli offensive–this time in a combined aerial and ground incursion into the West Bank city of Jenin–its largest military operation in Palestinian territory in years, as violence from the conflict continues to escalate, reports The Guardian.
After launching at least 10 drone strikes on buildings, a brigade of Israeli troops backed by armored bulldozers and rooftop snipers entered the city and its refugee camp, encountering fire from Palestinians after Israel informed the White House of its plans.
The operation was described as “a new war crime against our defenseless people” by a spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and the domestic intelligence service, Shin Bet, announced in a joint statement that they targeted a command center used by a local terrorist organization in the Jenin refugee camp.
Photographs from Jenin showed armed and masked Palestinian fighters on the streets, as gunfighting and explosions raged on into Monday morning.
The events of Monday raise the total number of Palestinians murdered in the West Bank this year to 133, part of a year-long increase in violence that has resulted in some of the most prolific casualty numbers in that area in almost two decades.