A Palestinian official reported shooting and explosions in the flashpoint West Bank town of Jenin on Wednesday, January 22, as Israeli forces pressed a raid that the military described as a "counterterrorism" operation. "The situation is very difficult," Kamal Abu al-Rub, the governor of Jenin, told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "The occupation army has bulldozed all the roads leading to the Jenin camp, and leading to the Jenin Governmental Hospital... There is shooting and explosions," he added.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces launched an operation in Jenin which Palestinian officials said killed 10 people, just days after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in the Gaza Strip.
According to Abu al-Rub, Israeli forces detained around 20 people from villages near Jenin, a bastion of Palestinian militancy. The Israeli military said it had launched a "counterterrorism operation" in the area, and had "hit over 10 terrorists."
"Additionally, aerial strikes on terror infrastructure sites were conducted and numerous explosives planted on the routes by the terrorists were dismantled," it said in a statement on Wednesday. "The Israeli forces are continuing the operation."
Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed to continue the assault. "It is a decisive operation aimed at eliminating terrorists in the camp," Katz said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the military would not allow a "terror front" to be established there.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security agency announced that, in coordination with the Border Police, they had launched an operation named "Iron Wall" in the area.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the raid aimed to "eradicate terrorism" in Jenin. He linked the operation to a broader strategy of countering Iran "wherever it sends its arms – in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen," and the West Bank.
The Israeli government has accused Iran, which supports armed groups across the Middle East, including Hamas in Gaza, of attempting to funnel weapons and funds to militants in the West Bank.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "maximum restraint" from Israeli security forces and expressed deep concern, according to his deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq.
Jenin and its refugee camp are known strongholds of Palestinian militant groups, and Israeli forces frequently carry out raids targeting armed factions in the area.