Israeli forces kill five Palestinians at a mosque in the West Bank | International

Israeli army personnel have killed five Palestinian “fighters” who were “hiding” inside a mosque in Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank, according to the armed institute in a statement. The deaths came after the army launched a simultaneous major attack on three areas in the northern West Bank early Wednesday, killing 10 Palestinians. The same day, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called for action in the West Bank similar to that in Gaza, including “the temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents and all necessary measures.”

The operation began early Wednesday when hundreds of Israeli troops attacked the areas of Tulkarem, Jenin and the Jordan Valley with helicopters, drones and armored personnel carriers. There was also a complete network outage at the Jawwal company, one of the two main telecommunications companies in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank, according to a witness. Palestinian health officials said at least 12 Palestinians were killed in Wednesday’s operation.

Bulldozers drove through empty streets in Jenin this Thursday, while the sound of drones echoed in the skies. Israeli soldiers remained stationed outside the city’s main hospital and inspected ambulances. On Wednesday, the army blocked access to the hospital with piles of earth and controlled the entry of ambulances to prevent fighters from taking refuge there.

The armed wings of the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah factions said in separate statements on Wednesday that their men had carried out bombings against Israeli military vehicles in Jenin, Tulkarem and Fara, a city in the Jordan Valley. Israel, for its part, said one of the five fighters killed at the Tulkarem mosque was Mohammed Jabber, known as Muhammad Jabbar. Abu ShujaHead of a network of fighters in the Noor Shams refugee camp near the city.

Clashes in the West Bank have intensified since Israel’s war with Hamas militants in Gaza began nearly 11 months ago. Israel says Iran provides arms and support to Palestinian militant groups and has stepped up operations in the West Bank, while Jewish settlers have launched frequent attacks against Palestinian communities.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz said in a message that he accused Iran of working to destabilize Jordan and establish an eastern front against Israel, as it has done in Gaza and Lebanon, where Israel is exchanging gunfire with militants from the Iranian group Hezbollah almost every day. To address the threat on the eastern front, Katz said Israel must use “all necessary means, including, in cases of acute war, allowing the population to temporarily evacuate from one neighborhood to another to avoid harm to civilians.”

In nearby Gaza, evacuation orders have displaced almost all of the enclave’s 2.3 million residents multiple times, leading to famine and deadly disease. The latest round of violence between Israel and Palestinians began on October 7 when Hamas militants launched an attack from Gaza into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Palestinian health officials say Israel’s campaign in Gaza has since destroyed much of the territory and killed more than 40,500 people. Internationally mediated talks to end the conflict are ongoing.

Thousands of Palestinians have been arrested and more than 660 people, including fighters and civilians, have been killed in attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the Gaza war began, according to Palestinian Health Ministry figures. At least 30 Israelis have been killed in attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank during the same period, according to Israeli counts.

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