Israeli occupation forces have intensified their attacks in the occupied West Bank, with Jenin becoming a focal point of their crackdown.
The recent Isreal raid left 10 Palestinians dead and nearly 40 injured by Israeli forces during a major operation in the Jenin area in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry says.
Palestinian media reported that on Tuesday there were several air strikes as a large number of troops entered the city and its refugee camp, backed by drones, helicopters and armoured bulldozers.
Israel’s prime minister said it launched an “extensive and significant” operation to “defeat terrorism” in Jenin, long seen as a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups.
Jenin raids
Three days following the commencement of the ceasefire in Gaza, this incident serves as a reminder of the potential for further violence in the West Bank.
On Monday night, suspected Israeli settlers also engaged in violent acts there.
The Israeli forces made dozens of arrests in the West Bank, offsetting the release of 90 prisoners under the ceasefire agreement so far.
Shifting battlefield
Hours after the Gaza ceasefire began on January 19, Israel began erecting dozens of new checkpoints in the West Bank.
This was to prevent Palestinians from gathering and celebrating the release of political prisoners, who were let go in a swap for Israeli captives held by Hamas as part of the deal.
The checkpoints also prohibited farmers from reaching their farmlands and sealed civilians in entire cities, such as in Hebron and Bethlehem.
Israeli settlers then began expanding illegal outposts in the West Bank and attacking Palestinian villages.
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law, and many of the haphazardly constructed outposts are even illegal under Israeli law, although often little is done to remove them, and many later become formalised.
“The implications of the violence is that it leads to direct or associated displacement and that falls in line with Israel’s objective of preventing any Palestinian state on their land,” said Tahani Mustafa, an expert on Israel-Palestine with International Crisis Group
Netanyahu ‘Embarrassed’
According to political analyst Mohammad Elmasry, this surge in military activity serves as a diversion from the Gaza ceasefire deal, which has been perceived domestically as a political debacle for Netanyahu.
Mohammed Elmasry, a political analyst believes that the increase in military actions is a distraction from the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
The ceasefire agreement has been seen by Israelis as a political failure for Netanyahu.
“The ceasefire in Gaza was kind of a defeat for Netanyahu. Israeli media reports are calling it an embarrassment for him to have Hamas, after all these months, still very much alive and well and operational in Gaza,” Elmasry told Al Jazeera.
“This is a way for the Israeli government to show its ardent supporters and especially those on the right wing that this is only temporary in Gaza and [Israel is] still able to do whatever we want in the West Bank,” he said.
