The Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah on Tuesday (Jan 21) said that the Israeli military's ongoing raid on Jenin, a city in the West Bank, has claimed at least eight lives, an increase from an earlier figure of six, The Guardian reported. In response, Hamas has urged for intensified confrontations with Israel amid the military operation.
Operation aimed at eradicating terrorism
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the operation, conducted by the military, police, and the Shin Bet security agency, is aimed at “eradicating terrorism” in Jenin, which he described as a hub for Palestinian armed groups.
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Referring to the mission as “extensive and significant,” he said, "On the directive of the Security Cabinet, the IDF, the ISA and the Israel Police have today begun an extensive and significant military operation to defeat terrorism in Jenin – 'Iron Wall'."
“We are operating in a systematic and decisive way against the Iranian axis wherever it sends its arms, in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Judea and Samaria,” Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office.
Jenin has been a focal point of Israeli military operations throughout Israel's 15-month-long war on Gaza. According to the Palestinian health ministry, over 800 individuals have lost their lives in Israeli raids since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths.
The Jenin refugee camp houses about 14,000 residents, the majority of whom are descendants of Palestinians displaced from their land during the establishment of Israel in 1948.
Qatar Prime Minister says peace in Gaza hinges on "good faith" efforts by Israel and Hamas
Meanwhile, Qatar's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, has stressed that peace in Gaza hinges on "good faith" efforts by both Israel and Hamas. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he said, "If they are embarking in this in good faith, this will last and hopefully will lead to phase two, will lead to a permanent ceasefire."
(With inputs from agencies)