Israeli military operations in the West Bank, including tank incursions and displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians, continue to escalate, while Palestinian resistance groups push back against the attacks.
Intense clashes and explosions took place in the town of Silat al-Harithiya, west of Jenin, as Palestinian resistance fighters targeted Israeli military vehicles with explosive devices, Al-Jazeera reported, citing local sources.
The Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas condemned the Israeli army’s deployment of tanks toward Jenin, while Tel Aviv announced efforts to reconstitute refugee camps in the northern occupied West Bank.
The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, stated that after re-establishing contact with a combat unit in Silat al-Harithiya, its fighters engaged Israeli forces, launching direct gunfire and detonating pre-prepared explosive devices, resulting in confirmed casualties.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that military operations in the West Bank will continue, noting that Israeli tanks entered the territory for the first time in decades.
On Sunday evening, Israeli tanks stormed the Jenin refugee camp, marking the first such incursion since 2002.
Israeli forces destroy civilian infrastructure in Jenin. pic.twitter.com/F2NPwvtvet
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 24, 2025
Military Operations in Jenin
According to Al Jazeera sources, Israeli forces have carried out extensive destruction in multiple towns in the Jenin area, including Al-Yamoun, Qabatiya, and Burqin.
Military reinforcements, including bulldozers, have been deployed, and key infrastructure has been damaged.
Israeli troops opened fire inside residential neighborhoods, while infantry units stormed homes near the Omar Mosque.
Eyewitnesses reported the bulldozing of main streets and the demolition of civilian structures.
Tulkarm Under Siege
In Tulkarm, Israeli military operations have persisted for 29 consecutive days, targeting the city and the Nour Shams and Tulkarm refugee camps.
The local camp committee reported that Israeli forces displaced over 20,000 residents, destroyed more than 60 homes, and severely damaged over 530 structures.
Water, electricity, sewage systems, and roads have been extensively damaged, while military checkpoints continue to isolate the area.
Israeli Channel 14 reported that military and intelligence officials are constructing roads in Jenin and Tulkarm to facilitate troop movement and prevent resistance fighters from planting explosive devices. A senior Israeli military source revealed that forces plan to remain in the area until at least the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced preparations for a long-term military presence in refugee camps, stating that displaced residents would not be allowed to return. According to Katz, 40,000 Palestinians have already been displaced from Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nour Shams, and UNRWA operations in these areas have been halted.
Hamas responded by condemning Israel’s military escalation, stating that the forced displacement of over 40,000 Palestinians necessitates a unified resistance front. The group dismissed Katz’s statements as unrealistic, asserting that Palestinian resistance remains active and will counter these plans.
Since January 21, Israel’s ‘Iron Wall’ military operation has intensified military actions in the northern West Bank, particularly in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 61 Palestinians have been killed, and widespread destruction has been inflicted on homes and infrastructure.
Settler Attacks
In the southern West Bank, illegal Israeli Jewish settlers set fire to an agricultural facility near Yatta and vandalized property in Masafer Yatta, including attacks on Palestinian homes and olive trees.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces conducted raids in Hebron, Sa’ir, Ramallah, and Nablus, arresting several Palestinians and ransacking homes and shops.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli military operations and settler violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have resulted in at least 923 Palestinian deaths, nearly 7,000 injuries, and 14,500 arrests, according to Palestinian officials.
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has openly advocated for the annexation of parts of the West Bank, leveraging strong political backing from the US administration.
(PC, AJA)
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