As many as eight residents embraced martyrdom as the Israeli army Monday conducted drone strikes in the West Bank’s Jenin, injuring around 50 people with several in critical condition, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
The operation was conducted two weeks after a brutal Israeli army raid in the Jenin refugee camp claimed the lives of several people.
The Israeli army said its forces had struck a “joint operations center” that served as a command post for the “Jenin Brigade,” a local militant group.
The West Bank is controlled partially in the West Bank, including the Jenin area by the Palestinian Authority. Under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who took power in December with his ultra-nationalist allies, the violence by Israelis has increased the suffering of the Palestinians.
The United Nations expressed concern over the escalating violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, calling for calm and restraint from all parties.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of life and injuries in the recent violence and called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to “take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation.” The recent violence has raised concerns that the situation could escalate and lead to full-scale violence.
The international community has called for an end to the violence and for both sides to return to the negotiating table to find a peaceful resolution to the longstanding conflict.
The conflict between Israel and Palestine has been ongoing since the Six-Day War of 1967, with Israel occupying the West Bank, home to around 490,000 Israelis living in settlements considered illegal under international law.
The Palestinians, who desire their own independent state, demand Israel withdraw from all land occupied in the Six-Day War and dismantle all Jewish settlements.—Agencies
