Large-scale incursion into West Bank city, dubbed operation ‘Iron Wall’, begins with deadly air strikes
Muhammad Ateeq is a Palestinian journalist and photographer based in Jenin
Fayha Shalash is a Palestinian journalist based in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Shalash holds a BA in Media from Birzeit University
Cross-posted from Middle East Eye
The Israeli military bombed and stormed Jenin on Tuesday as it launched a major assault on the northern occupied West Bank city, days after a ceasefire in Gaza took hold.
The attacks killed at least seven Palestinians and wounded 35 others, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
The bombing accompanied a large-scale ground assault by Israeli forces, which is expected to last several days, a military source told the Times of Israel.
Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces – who have been besieging and attacking Jenin since early December – withdrew from the city as the Israeli offensive was starting.
Reporters on the ground told Middle East Eye that Israeli forces are besieging both al-Amal Hospital and Jenin Governmental Hospital
“The situation is extremely dire, and it seems that this will be the fiercest escalation we’ve seen so far,” a reporter said.
Asaad Salim, a resident of Jenin, told MEE that the Israeli assault began with special forces infiltrating the Jabriyat neighbourhood, located east of the city.
Shortly after, Israeli warplanes bombed a vehicle outside Jenin’s refugee camp, killing the driver.
The warplanes then began firing heavy guns at various areas within both the city and the camp.
Armed clashes also erupted between Palestinian resistance fighters and the Israeli army.
“There are bodies in the streets, and many people are injured, but no one can reach them. Ambulances can’t move due to the intense and sudden assault,” he said.
A doctor and a paramedic at Jenin’s al-Amal Hospital were among those wounded, according to local reports.
Ambulance driver Hazem Masarwa told MEE that medical teams have been unable to reach the wounded.
According to Masarwa, casualties are lying on the ground in several locations, including Khallet al-Souha, al-Ghubaz, al-Hussan roundabout and al-Hadaf.
“There was also an injury to a nurse behind al-Amal Hospital, and despite repeated efforts, no one has been able to reach him,” he added.
Ambulances came under gunfire while trying to reach the wounded, he said, and their access to several neighbourhoods was blocked after Israeli military vehicles were stationed at key entrances.
“It’s very likely there are other casualties we’re unaware of, given the widespread violence and the inability to move freely within the city,” Masarwa said.
Israel seeks Gaza-like change in West Bank
The Israeli army said in a joint statement with Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, that it began a “counterterrorism operation” in Jenin. It named the offensive the “Iron Wall”.
The offensive involved a large deployment of Israeli troops, special forces and Shin Bet agents, according to Israeli media outlets.
The Jenin Brigades, the most prominent armed resistance group in the city, said its fighters were confronting the “invading occupation forces” in various battlefronts and were actively engaging them with gunfire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the offensive on social media platform X.
“This is another step toward achieving our goal of enhancing security in the West Bank,” he said.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also commented on the attack, stating in a brief statement: “Today, the concept of security in the West Bank is shifting, following Gaza and Lebanon, as part of our broader goals to eliminate terrorism in the region.”
Hamas called for a general mobilisation and confrontation of what it termed the “widespread [Israeli] occupation aggression” in Jenin, urging support for the resistance fighters to confront the Israeli army.
In a press statement, it expressed surprise at the actions of PA agencies, which withdrew from the vicinity of the Jenin camp just as the Israeli military operation began, after a siege that had lasted more than 48 days.
The Islamic Jihad movement condemned the Israeli attack as a “brutal and barbaric act,” describing it as a reflection of Israel’s predicament following its failure to achieve its goals in Gaza. It claimed the operation was a desperate attempt to salvage Netanyahu’s government coalition.
“It aims to disturb the atmosphere of joy among the people in the West Bank by forcing Israel to release a large number of prisoners, as compensation for the shock and pain that has plagued the Israeli entity,” the statement added.
The Israeli assault follows the breakdown of a truce agreement between the PA and armed groups in Jenin last week.
The PA has killed at least eight Palestinian residents of Jenin since the launch of its own operation, including several unarmed civilians.
At least six members of the PA security forces were also killed, including some in exchanges of fire with members of the armed groups.
The PA said the campaign was against “outlaws” and aims to restore “law and order”. The armed groups say their fight against Israel is legitimate.
Be the first to comment