'Time has come for the West Bank,' Shin Bet chief says
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The Israeli occupation is seeking to sow death and destruction in the West Bank after Gaza in light of the bloody military operation they are carrying out.
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Heavy equipment clears rubble at the site of Israeli aggression in the West Bank village of Burqin, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025 (AP)
Israeli drones fitted with loudspeakers ordered people to leave their homes in Jenin on Thursday, residents said, as the military demolished several houses during the third day of a major operation in the West Bank city.
Israeli officials said the operations targeted Resistance groups in the refugee camp adjacent to the city. "We need to be prepared to continue in the Jenin camp that will bring it to a different place," Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, head of the Israeli occupation forces, said in a statement.
Armored bulldozers have torn up roads, and hundreds of residents have fled their homes in the camp after being ordered to evacuate.
"Yesterday, we did not want to leave; we were at home," said 16-year-old Hussam Saadi. "Today, they sent down a drone to our neighborhood, telling us to leave the camp and that they will blow it up."
The raid, the third major operation by the Israeli military in Jenin in less than two years, has drawn international concern. France and Jordan have issued warnings against further escalation in the West Bank, an area that has experienced increased violence since the onset of the war in Gaza.
An Al Mayadeen correspondent reported that the head of the Israeli Shin Bet security agency and the Chief of Staff conducted an evaluation of the situation in Jenin amid an intensified Israeli aggression. The head of Shin Bet was quoted as saying, "The time for the West Bank has come."
The Israeli forces are currently carrying out widespread arrests in Jenin, Ya’bad, and Qabatiya. The correspondent highlighted concerns among observers that the military operation could expand from Jenin to other parts of the West Bank, potentially leading to a larger-scale escalation.
According to the correspondent, the Israeli occupation forces appear determined to evacuate residents from the Jenin refugee camp to carry out their military objectives.
Palestinian Resistance confront invading forces
Palestinian Resistance forces in the occupied West Bank have continued to confront Israeli forces amid a second day of intense confrontations. Israeli troops, who have besieged homes and assaulted Palestinians during their incursions into towns, are facing fierce resistance from local factions.
The al-Quds Brigades - Jenin Battalion announced that its fighters in the Burqin unit engaged in fierce battles with Israeli forces near a besieged house. The group reported using heavy gunfire and explosives against Israeli troops and vehicles, claiming confirmed hits. Similarly, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade - Jenin Battalion stated that its fighters were involved in intense firefights with Israeli forces near the besieged house in the town of Burqin, west of Jenin.
Local media reported that Resistance fighters detonated an explosive device targeting an Israeli bulldozer in Jenin while engaging in combat with Israeli forces. According to witnesses, special forces infiltrated the area, surrounded a house, and used loudspeakers to order its occupants to evacuate. Israeli drones also launched several missiles at the site.
Israeli forces deployed reinforcements, including a military bulldozer, and began demolishing parts of the house. Burqin Mayor Hassan Sobh accused Israeli forces of using women as human shields and forcing families out of the besieged residence before initiating the demolition.
Despite these measures, resistance fighters inside the house reportedly refused to surrender, continuing to fire at Israeli forces. An Israeli drone also opened fire in the Dammaj neighborhood of Jenin refugee camp, intensifying the violence.
