Topline
In the most brutal fighting between Israelis and Palestinains in years, the Israeli military raided the West Bank city of Jenin, killing at least five and wounding at least 91, according to multiple reports.
Smoke rises during fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in the West Bank city … [+]
Key Facts
Israel struck a refugee camp in Jenin with gunfire, armored bulldozers and at least one Apache helicopter, while Palestinians responded with gunfire and explosive devices, according to news reports from the region.
The fighting reportedly lasted nearly 10 hours, beginning early Monday morning.
Israel told Al Jazeera that the raid was intended to arrest two suspects, and claimed the fighting started after its soldiers came under fire.
Witnesses told the Associated Press that the Israeli military opened fire indiscriminately at Palestinians at the gates of the Ibn Sina Hospital, with the hospital’s director, Tawfik al-Shobaki, saying “they were shooting at anything and everything that moved.”
One Israeli soldier is in “dangerous but stable” condition, according to Al Jazeera, which heard the soldier’s status on the military’s radio channel.
Multiple groups of Palestinian journalists and media employees, at least one of whom–Hazem Nasser–was injured, were trapped by the gunfire and told Al Jazeera that the Israelis were shooting directly at them.
Surprising Fact
The incident marked the first time a helicopter gunship was used in the occupied West Bank since the second Palestinian uprising around two decades ago, Israeli media reported.
Chief Critics
The incident has garnered condemnation from Palestinian leaders and nearby states. Mustafa Barghouti, general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, told Al Jazeera the attack on Jenin was not an equal “gunfight between two sides,” but rather “a criminal war” from “an army that is using Apache helicopters, F-16 jet fighters, armoured vehicles, unlimited amount of gunpowder against the civilian population.” Egypt’s foreign ministry condemned the attack, describing it as Israel’s “continued escalation against the Palestinians.” Iran’s foreign ministry similarly condemned the attack, saying in a statement, “Mass murder of Palestinians, including children, women and seniors, in addition to destroying their properties, is a clear example of organised crime and state terrorism.”
Key Background
The incident is an escalation of a decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians over territory. The West Bank, one of the contested areas, was captured by Israel in 1967, and has been embroiled by nearly daily violence, spurred by nightly raids from Israeli forces, for the past year. In the West Bank, at least 124 Palestinians have been killed this year and Palestinians have killed at least 20 this year, according to AP.
Further Reading
5 killed as Israeli forces raid Jenin camp (Al Jazeera)
Fiercest fighting in years erupts in West Bank city of Jenin, at least 5 Palestinians killed (The Associated Press)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/willskipworth/2023/06/19/5-palestinians-die-in-the-conflicts-most-ferocious-fighting-in-years/