‘Nearly uninhabitable’: Israel escalates assault on Jenin

Israeli forces confirmed the killing of two Palestinians from the town of Qabatiya in the Jenin governorate in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday night during an ongoing massive military raid in the area. 

The Israeli military identified the individuals as Qutaiba al-Shalabi and Mohammed Nazal, alleging their affiliation with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.  

The army accused the two men of carrying out a shooting attack earlier this month in the village of Funduq, located in the Qalqilya governorate, which resulted in the deaths of three Israelis and injuries to six others. 

The military reported that al-Shalabi and Nazal were killed during a gunfight while they were barricaded in a building in the town of Burqin. 

“During the operation, an [Israeli army] soldier was moderately injured and was evacuated to the hospital to receive medical treatment. His family has been notified,” the statement added. 

Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed the deaths, stating in a Telegram post: “The two perpetrators of the heroic Funduq operation were killed yesterday evening … after engaging in violent clashes with the enemy [Israeli] forces that besieged them in a house in the town of Burqin.”

According to the Palestinian Wafa news agency, Israel has retained the bodies of al-Shalabi, 30, and Nazal, 25.  

Their deaths bring the total number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli military operation in Jenin since Tuesday to 12. 

‘Act with force’

The 6 January attack in Funduq, which killed three Israelis, prompted Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz to direct the military to “act with force” to apprehend those responsible.  

Katz vowed on X: “Anyone who… enables or supports the murder and harm of Jews will pay a heavy price.”

The latest killings comes amid warnings from Palestinians in the besieged West Bank city that Israel is intensifying attacks across the occupied territory, mirroring actions carried out in Israel’s 15-month-long military offensive in Gaza.

Following a fragile ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip last week, Israel has initiated a significant military operation in the West Bank since Tuesday, accompanied by rampages by suspected Jewish settlers through Palestinian towns. 

Prior to the Israeli military assault, the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) security forces conducted a weeks-long operation to regain control of Jenin and its refugee camp. 

Jenin, long a focal point of Palestinian resistance, remains a flashpoint city.  

The Palestinian health ministry reported that at least nine Palestinians were killed on Tuesday, including a 16-year-old, while 40 others were wounded.

The Israeli military stated it carried out airstrikes, dismantled roadside bombs, and “hit” 10 militants, though it did not clarify the specifics of this action.  

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Ahmed Nimr al-Shayeb, 43, was among the people killed on the first day of the Israeli operation in Jenin. 

He was reportedly targeted near the Jenin refugee camp after hearing gunfire, which led him to accelerate his car and crash into a post. 

A Palestinian activist from the Jenin refugee camp told Haaretz: “We heard threats of turning Jenin into [north Gaza city of] Jabalia, and that is apparently what the government of Israel wants in order to placate [Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich and [Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir.” 

Assaults and damage to properties 

Amir Dawood, of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, told Wafa that Israeli forces have erected 898 checkpoints and iron gates in the West Bank, 146 of which have been installed since October 2023.  

Settlers have reportedly rampaged through Palestinian villages under military protection, carrying out assaults and damaging properties. 

Palestinian activists argue such operations entrench Israeli control over the occupied territory, where 3 million Palestinians live under military rule, while over 500,000 Jewish settlers enjoy full rights under Israeli law.  

Amid this backdrop, violence from ultra-nationalist settlers against Palestinians has intensified, including Wednesday’s extremist attacks against Palestinian farmers in the South Hebron Hills, as reported by The Times of Israel. 

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has warned of the dire humanitarian impact of the ongoing raids in Jenin, reporting that 2,000 families in the occupied West Bank have been displaced since mid-December.  

UNRWA director Roland Friedrich stated that the camp is “nearly uninhabitable” and expressed concern over upcoming Israeli legislation that could undermine the agency’s operations. 

Israeli violence against Palestinians has surged across the West Bank since the Gaza conflict reignited in October 2023.  

According to the Palestinian health ministry, over 850 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers during this period.