Six Palestinians killed as Israel escalates West Bank operations

Six Palestinians were killed in the West Bank overnight, and more than 30 were injured, in an Israeli military operation.

The operation against the Lion’s Den group, which the military says was planning a number of attacks against Israelis, was the deadliest night of violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem since the start of the year. It comes a week before Israel’s fifth election since 2019.

Five people were killed during the operation in the old city of Nablus, and another person died in the city of Ramallah during clashes with Israeli security forces, Palestinian health authorities said.

“What’s happening in Nablus is an aggression and a war crime,” Nabil Abu Rudineh, a spokesperson for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, said in a statement, calling on the US to intervene.

Significant Escalation

The operation targeted a site used by the group to manufacture explosives, claim Israeli Defense Forces, and marks a significant escalation in Israel’s efforts to suppress protests in the West Bank.

The IDF launched operations earlier this year after a spate of attacks that killed 19 Israelis and foreigners.

Amir Avivi, founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum and a brigadier general, called for an even broader operation against the Lion’s Den but said that such decisions will likely be postponed until after the election.

“The water is boiling over and we need to take the pot off the fire, and we can’t do that without a massive defense operation,” Avivi said by telephone.  More than 130 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the year, according to Palestinian health authorities. Three Israeli soldiers have also been killed after Israel began the West Bank operations.

—Bloomberg