“Our humanitarian colleagues warn that deadly warfare tactics that seem to exceed international standards for law enforcement are still occurring in the north.”
The UN has called for an immediate cessation of Israel’s large-scale military operations in the occupied West Bank, with its humanitarian partners warning that “deadly warfare tactics (..) seem to exceed international standards for law enforcement” were taking place.
In a statement, Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, said he was “deeply concerned” by the latest developments in the occupied West Bank, including Israel’s launch on Tuesday of large-scale operations in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas governorates.
He said he “strongly condemns” the operation which involved the use of air strikes, resulting in “the loss of lives, including children” and damage to civilian infrastructure.
“These dangerous developments are fuelling an already explosive situation in the occupied West Bank and further undermining the Palestinian Authority,” said Guterres.
Latest developments in the occupied West Bank, including Israel's launch of large-scale military operations, are deeply concerning.
I strongly condemn the loss of lives, including of children, and I call for an immediate cessation of these operations. pic.twitter.com/ufTWrPcUT7
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 29, 2024
The Israeli army is continuing its military operation in the northern West Bank for the third consecutive day, an operation that has been described as the largest in the West Bank since 2002.
15 Killed in Under 48 Hours
At a press briefing on Thursday, Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric said “Our humanitarian colleagues warn that deadly warfare tactics that seem to exceed international standards for law enforcement are still occurring in the north.”
In the Governorates of Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas, the number of fatalities, according to what the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs was receiving, “is 15 people in less than two days, with many others injured,” Dujarric said.
“Initial reports suggest that some families have been displaced, particularly in urban areas where Israeli security forces have repurposed homes as military positions,” he stated.
What is Israel’s Aim in the West Bank and Will It Succeed? – ANALYSIS
In multiple locations, “heavy damage to infrastructure has been caused by military bulldozers,” while electricity and telecom outages were also reported.
The spokesman said “military operations near hospitals, severely impacting those facilities,” were continuing.
A clinic run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) clinic in the Al Far’a refugee camp “had to suspend operations” on Wednesday, he said and was only able to resume once the Israeli security forces left the area.
Dujarric said agencies have also warned people of “the risk of unexploded ordnances” in some areas.
Drone Strike
On Friday, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in a drone missile strike in the town of Zababdeh, near Jenin, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
For its part, the Israeli military claimed it assassinated Wissam Hazem, the Hamas commander in Jenin, in the attack.
An Israeli soldier was reportedly killed, and others were injured in an ambush in the eastern neighborhood of Jenin.
Also on Friday, Israeli forces opened live fire at a group of journalists covering the ongoing aggression on Jenin and its camp, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The soldiers directly targeted the journalists near the Zayed roundabout in Jenin City, the report said.
Israeli forces have also been deliberately obstructing the movement of ambulances and targeting ambulance crews, it said.
On Thursday, the Israeli occupation forces also killed Muhammad Jaber Abu Shujaa, the founder of the Tulkarm Brigade.
Palestinian Commander Abu Shujaa Killed in Tulkarm – Israeli Operation in West Bank Intensifies
According to Palestinian medical sources, as of Thursday night, at least 17 people had been killed, and 22 others had been injured since the start of the extensive military operation.
The Israeli army’s operations in the West Bank have also involved burning homes, destroying infrastructure, and other acts of sabotage as part of a policy of collective punishment.
On July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and mandated the dismantling of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
(The Palestine Chronicle)
