The announcement came shortly after President Trump rescinded Biden-era sanctions on Israeli settlers and Jewish extremists raided Palestinian villages in protest against the cease-fire in Gaza.The New York Times reports that shortly after President Trump rescinded Biden-era sanctions on Israeli settlers, Jewish extremists launched raids on Palestinian villages in protest against the recent cease-fire in Gaza. According to Palestinian officials and the Israeli military, the extremists burned buildings and vehicles in the West Bank late Monday.
In response to the raids, Israeli security forces began a military operation in Jenin, a Palestinian city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the operation was aimed at eradicating terrorism and would be extensive and significant. The Palestinian Authority’s health ministry reported that eight people were killed and at least 35 injured during the first hours of the operation.
The timing of the operation in the West Bank could serve as a distraction from the recent cease-fire in Gaza, where Hamas gunmen paraded through the streets to show their strength. However, with their power diminished in Gaza, Hamas has intensified their efforts to arm militants in the West Bank, making an Israeli offensive there almost inevitable.
The Jenin operation comes amidst rising tensions in the West Bank, as militant groups have grown in power and settler violence against Palestinian civilians has increased. This was further exacerbated by President Trump’s decision to rescind sanctions on far-right Israeli individuals and settler groups accused of violence against Palestinians and the seizure or destruction of their property.
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