Israeli military destroys ’terrorist infrastructure’ in West Bank
The Israeli military says it has killed at least 50 militants during more than two weeks of operations in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military says it has killed at least 50 militants during more than two weeks of operations in the occupied West Bank, with “terrorist infrastructure” blown up in the Jenin refugee camp.
“As part of the operation to thwart terrorism … the IDF (military) recently destroyed several buildings in Jenin,” the Israeli Defence Forces said in a statement, adding the structures “were used as terrorist infrastructure”.
BREAKING: THIS IS JENIN RIGHT NOW! pic.twitter.com/96trLoc31B
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) February 2, 2025
Palestinian official news agency WAFA said Israeli forces “simultaneously detonated about 20 buildings” in the eastern part of Jenin refugee camp, adding that the “explosions were heard throughout Jenin city and parts of the neighbouring towns”.
The Israeli military launched a major offensive in the West Bank on January 21 aimed at rooting out Palestinian armed groups from the Jenin area, which has long been a hotbed of militancy.
Later, the military said it had “eliminated over 35 terrorists and apprehended more than 100 wanted individuals”, referring to action during the operation dubbed “Iron Wall”.
“In an advance operation, over 15 terrorists were eliminated in aerial strikes,” it added. An army spokesman told AFP that the operation was launched on January 14.
The Palestinian health ministry meanwhile said that the Israeli military killed two individuals in separate incidents in the West Bank on Sunday.
The ministry said a 73-year-old man was killed by Israeli gunfire in the Jenin refugee camp, adjacent to the city.
A 27-year-old was killed also by the Israeli army gunfire in Al-Aroub camp, in the southern West Bank, the health ministry and Palestinian Red Crescent said, confirming his name as Mohammed Amjad Hadoush.
Witnesses reported a “large” deployment of Israeli forces in the morning around the towns of Tubas and Tamun, southeast of Jenin.
An AFP journalist said the army was blocking the exits of the nearby Faraa refugee camp and entering homes, evicting residents. Drones were also visible in the sky.
The army said early on Sunday that a “tactical group” had begun operations around Tamun and uncovered weapons.
It added it was “extending the counter-terrorism operation … to five villages”. It also distributed leaflets in Arabic saying the operation was meant to “eradicate armed criminals, the lackeys of Iran”.
The Israeli government accuses Iran, which backs armed groups across the Middle East including Hamas in Gaza, of attempting to send weapons and money to militants in the West Bank.
The leaflets warned residents not to approach Israeli forces.
On Saturday, Israel conducted two air strikes in Jenin, and “struck and eliminated a terrorist cell on its way to carry out an imminent terrorist attack” in Qabatiya, the military said, adding that “two terrorists” were killed.
“After the strike, secondary explosions due to explosives that were inside the vehicle were identified,” the military said on Sunday.
Islamic Jihad’s military wing confirmed in a statement on Sunday that two of its fighters were among those killed.
The military said one of those killed had been released from Israeli detention in 2023 as part of the first truce in the Gaza war.
AFP
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