Israel Launches Massive West Bank Raid

Hundreds of Israeli troops are active in the occupied West Bank, Palestine, and Israeli drones are being flown as the IDF has launched one of its largest raids in the West Bank since the Gaza War began in October. The raid began on August 28th, and is still ongoing. Israeli officials have said it is likely to continue, with the end date of the operation unknown..A Significant OperationThe Israeli operation has spanned several different cities. Jenin and Tulkarem appear to be the cities with the largest IDF activity, however Israeli raids have also occurred in Nablus, Tubas, and Al-Fara'a.The IDF has claimed to have killed at least 12 Palestinian militants belonging to different organizations in the operations thus far. Further, approximately 45 have been arrested, again belonging to various organizations. Palestinian health authorities have reported that at least 10 people have been killed in Israel's raids thus far, though they did not distinguish if these fatalities belonged to militant organizations or were civilian. West Bank militant groups have claimed several of the fatalities thus far to be their members.However, a number of injuries have been reported in addition to the fatalities, many of which are believed to be civilian. There are no figures detailing the exact amount of injuries.Among Israel's acclaimed killings is Muammad Jaber, commonly known as Abu Shujaa, the commander of the Tulkarem Brigade. Shujaa was killed alongside four others, who Israel stated were also militants, in a mosque in the Noor al-Shams Refugee Camp in Tulkarem. In a statement, the IDF stated that Shujaa was responsible for directing a shooting attack which killed an Israeli citizen named Amnon Mokhtar in June. Further, they stated that Shujaa was planning more attacks.Shujaa's death has also been confirmed by Palestinian sources.The IDF stated that they carried out the raids after detecting an "immediate threat" to civilians, but also as a larger crackdown amidst heightened militant activity in recent months. While the West Bank has been known for militant activity for many years now, activity has increased since the war began between Hamas and Israel in October. West Bank militant groups have taken the opportunity to increase the frequency of their attacks as a means of solidarity with Gaza, and in order to stretch Israeli military assets.Jenin, more specifically the Jenin Refugee Camp in the center of the city, has become a common site for such militant activity, with several different groups active within its borders. Nablus and Tulkarem, also subject to raids (the larger of which being in Tulkarem), have also become militant hotbeds.Across several of the besieged cities, Israel has deployed armored bulldozers to carry out significant amounts of infrastructure destruction. While not present in every raid, Israel rather frequently deploys armored construction equipment to accompany their troops. The armored bulldozers dig up streets, crush cars, and, at times, demolish houses..Israel has claimed that the destruction of streets and vehicles is in order to disable any potential IED's hidden in the road or bombs planted in vehicles that could be used to target more vulnerable infantry or regular armoured vehicles. In contrast, Palestinian sources claim that the infrastructure is meant to punish the entire population of the camps as it heavily damages civil infrastructure and oftentimes leads to the destruction of civilian vehicles that are uninvolved in ongoing clashes.The destruction of homes is undertaken as a punitive measure by Israel against those accused of terror charges. Israel demolishes the residence of those accused, regardless if anyone else may live in the house.Unique to the ongoing raid is that Israeli troops have surrounded the Jenin government hospital and blocked access to the building with mounds of dirt. Palestinian health officials further claimed that Israel prevented an ambulance from reaching the hospital. Israeli military sources have stated that this measure has been taken in order to prevent militant forces from seeking refuge in the hospital.Palestinian sources have claimed that Israeli bulldozers have also destroyed electricity transmitters for the Jenin refugee camp, causing a blackout in the camp.Israeli forces have thus far been primarily engaged by Saraya Al-Quds (the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's militant wing), the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade (a Palestinian militant group that was a part of Fatah until 2007 that has become one of the key Palestinian militant factions in recent years), and elements of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' militant wing. Other smaller groups have also engaged Israeli forces..While Hamas' primary basis is in the Gaza Strip, they have small elements and a small amount of operatives in the West Bank that occasionally participate in combat operations such as the ongoing raids.As of publication, after nearly 48 hours, Israeli forces have reportedly withdrawn from the Noor al-Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem. Raids are still ongoing in other West Bank cities, including Jenin..Katz' ClaimsAmidst the ongoing Israeli raids, Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel Katz, released a statement claiming that the Palestinian militant groups in the West Bank are Iranian proxies that are funded and supplied directly by Iran through the Jordanian border, comparing it to the "proxy model" that was set up by Iran "in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq."To counter this, Katz called for a security fence to be built on the Israeli-Jordanian border and for "the US and Western countries" to "strengthen the Kingdom of Jordan against Iranian subversion and enable it to defend its borders," though he did not specify what exactly this meant..In a separate statement, Katz called for the "temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents" in order to allow for Israel to properly tackle ongoing security threats. Further, he stated that "this is a war for everything and we must win it."The Foreign Minister's statements, in particular that calling for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians, have drawn condemnation from international diplomats, including from the EU's High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security and Vice President of the EU Commission, Josep Borrell.Katz was only reinstated as the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs (after having previously served in the post from 2019-2020) at the beginning of the year. However, he has quickly risen to prominence in the post and has become one of the more important Israeli officials in the government throughout the course of the Israel-Gaza War.As such, he wields a notable amount of influence. With this, it is a possibility that his calls for a security fence on the Israel-Jordan border will be answered, but it remains to be seen if decision-making aspects of the Israeli government will undertake this measure.