Image via Al Jazeera video screenshot
With the world doing little to stop its genocidal attacks in Gaza and with the firm military support of the United States for its campaign in spite of a huge civilian death toll, Israel has turned its sights on the West Bank. Over the last two days it has launched its largest military operation there in over 20 years. At least 18 people have been killed so far.
On Wednesday, Common Dreams reported that Israel engaged in "coordinated raids on four cities in the northern West Bank, Israel employed hundreds of ground troops as well as fighter aircraft, drones, and bulldozers."
According to Al Jazeera, the "Israeli military called in reinforcements as it escalated its assault on the occupied West Bank for a second day."
They reported further that "Eight people were killed in the Jenin governorate, six in Tulkarem and four in Tubas, while dozens more have been injured.
At least 20 Palestinians, including children, have so far been imprisoned by Israeli forces, according to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, who warned on Thursday that the number could rise as the raids continue."
Jeremy Scahill, of The Intercept and Drop Site News, wrote on social media of the raids "This is the predictable culmination of the actions of an Israeli regime that has been fully empowered, armed, supported and encouraged by the Biden-Harris administration in its genocidal war."
Oxfam Regional Director Sally Abi Khalil said:
"The latest Israeli military offensive in the West Bank overnight is deeply concerning, resulting in numerous possible violations of international humanitarian law. The systematic attacks against civilians - just as we have seen in Gaza over the last 10 months - must not escalate further. Palestinians in highly populated areas have been subjected to extrajudicial killings, collective punishment, and the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure such as houses and schools, power generators, and water sources as well as restrictions on movement and forcible displacement."
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