Recent events in the Middle East stir controversy with Israel's significant military campaign in the West Bank
Last night, Israel's armed forces launched a substantial operation in the annexed West Bank areas. According to military communiqués, counter-terrorism activities are underway in Jenin and Tulkarem, notorious for hosting radical Palestinian militants. Reputable news sources claim that the military mobilized significant infantry units, drones, and snipers, dismantling infrastructure with bulldozers, and blocking all road access to Jenin.
Two individuals perished in Jenin, as reported by Ramallah's health department, with several receiving injury. Wafa, the Palestinian news agency, followed with reports of two more fatalities from a drone strike on a refugee camp near Tubas, and three more from a drone strike on a vehicle south of Jenin. The identities of the deceased remain uncertain. The army declined to provide specifics regarding the operation.
Media outlets describe this operation as a large-scale military campaign, with Al Jazeera characterizing it as the most extensive such operation by the Israeli military in the northern West Bank within the past 20 years. According to Al Jazeera, Palestinians took up arms against soldiers and explosives in Tulkarem's refugee district, Nur Shams, leading to clashes in other West Bank towns.
Jenin and Tulkarem under Siege
Wafa reported a surge of military vehicles entering Jenin, with Al Jazeera confirming that the city is now wholly encircled. The ynet news outlet reported that security forces searched for wanted individuals in refugee neighborhoods in Jenin and Tulkarem. According to Israeli and Palestinian media outlets, the forces surrounded hospitals in both cities, blocking ambulance access. The military controls entry to the hospital buildings to keep militants from seeking shelter there, ynet revealed.
Strife in the West Bank intensified since the Hamas slaughter on October 7, 2023, which initiated the Gaza conflict. In the following months, over 620 Palestinians have perished in Israeli military operations, conflicts, and extremist assaults, as indicated by preliminary figures from the Ramallah health ministry.
Regular Israeli military intrusions have become commonplace in Jenin and Tulkarem. Just the previous Monday, five individuals lost their lives in an Israeli airstrike in Tulkarem's Nur Shams refugee neighborhood, with the target being militant Palestinians, according to Israeli military reports.
Amnesty International Demands EU Sanctions against Israel
The level of violence committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinians has risen significantly since the October massacre. Amnesty International strongly condemns Israel's settlement policy and advocates for strict EU sanctions before new EU deliberations on the Middle East conflict.
In a correspondence to the foreign ministers of the 27 EU nations and the EU's High Representative Josep Borrell, the human rights organization appealed for a complete arms embargo, a restriction on investments in certain Israeli companies and banks, as well as the prohibition of trade in goods originating from Israeli settlements in occupied territories within the EU. The occupation of Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end as promptly as possible, as affirmed in a July ruling by the International Court of Justice.
Alleged Israeli Drone Strike in Lebanon
Daily altercations between Israeli military forces and militant Palestinians occur in the West Bank, while skirmishes with Hezbollah militia and other groups on the Lebanese border are virtually constant, resulting in casualties on both sides. Lebanese security agencies and Hezbollah-connected Al-Manar TV reported an alleged Israeli drone strike on a truck in northern Lebanon, approximately 100 kilometers from the border.
Eyewitnesses reported explosions, and the truck may have carried Hezbollah weaponry, according to reports. One individual suffered injury, as per the Lebanese Health Ministry. The location is deemed a stronghold of the Shia Hezbollah militia. Israel has yet to comment on the incident.
Hostage Rescued after Protracted Search
A positive development emerged in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict on Tuesday with the rescue of a hostage captured by the Islamist Hamas group by Israeli special forces. The soldiers discovered Kaid Farhan Alkadi, unguarded, in one of Hamas' numerous tunnels under the Gaza Strip, according to army statements. The forces had reportedly been searching the underground tunnel system for days, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing a military representative. The Haaretz newspaper reported that Alkadi responded to the soldiers during the operation.
This marked the first instance of Israeli units rescuing a hostage from a Hamas tunnel alive. The seven previously rescued hostages were retrieved from houses in the Gaza Strip by military personnel at a considerable cost.
The liberated hostage, a 52-year-old Bedouin, is receiving medical care and appears to be in good health, according to Israeli statements. Relatives described him as emaciated after their encounter. He reportedly experienced little natural light in the tunnel and witnessed another hostage pass away beside him.
Israeli politicians and relatives expressed jubilation at his release after 326 days in captivity. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Izchak Herzog spoke to Alkadi, who urged continued efforts to bring people home, work tirelessly, and never rest until they are returned. The hostages suffered greatly, he noted, "you can't imagine."
According to Israeli statements, Alkadi was abducted on October 7 from a kibbutz situated near the Gaza Strip border, where he served as a security guard. Israeli media reported that he has 11 children.
Persevering Quest for Peace
In total, Palestinian terrorists abducted over 250 individuals from Israel into the coastal region on October 7 the previous year. Following the release of several hostages, Israel estimates that Hamas still maintains 108 captives. The number of survivors is uncertain.
Despite the ongoing clashes in Gaza, there are no signs of a truce, despite global efforts to broker a peace. As reported by Israeli news sources, an Israeli delegation is preparing for another round of talks with Hamas in Doha. The diplomatic dialogue, led by Qatar, Egypt, and the USA, has been stagnant for some time now.
In response to the siege in Jenin and Tulkarem, human rights organization Amnesty International has called for EU sanctions against Israel, advocating for a complete arms embargo, restrictions on investments, and the prohibition of trade in goods originating from Israeli settlements in occupied territories.
Despite the ongoing operation in the annexed West Bank regions, other parts of Palestine have not been unaffected. Witnesses reported an alleged Israeli drone strike on a truck in northern Lebanon, resulting in one injury, as per the Lebanese Health Ministry.
