Jenin in the Occupied West Bank is Under Siege by Israeli force

Jenin in the occupied West Bank is under siege by Israeli forces.

A major raid carried out by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin resulted in the surrounding of several hospitals and the unfortunate loss of three lives. According to Palestinian sources, the attacks occurred overnight and continued into Friday, leaving at least 14 others injured. The raid lasted for several hours before coming to an end.

Among the incidents that took place during the raid was a drone strike on the Jenin refugee camp, which resulted in the deaths of at least three individuals, as stated by the Palestinian ambulance service. However, the Israeli army claims that five people were killed. These drone strikes have become more frequent in the West Bank while the conflict in Gaza persists.

Reports from the official Palestinian news agency Wafa indicate that Israeli forces prevented emergency services from reaching the injured individuals, potentially putting their lives at risk.

Starting from approximately 10:30 PM on Thursday, the Israeli army deployed over 80 military vehicles into Jenin, conducting raids on Palestinian residences and detaining several individuals. Violent clashes were reported during this operation.

Al Jazeera's Sara Khairat, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, mentioned that dozens of armored vehicles, including bulldozers, arrived in Jenin, causing damage to vehicles and roads. The raid lasted for approximately eight hours.

Israeli soldiers surrounded several hospitals, including the Ibn Sina Hospital. According to Khairat, the Israeli forces came to the hospital and conducted a raid during which they instructed medical staff to raise their hands and evacuate the premises. However, some doctors from the hospital refused to comply with the order and evacuate. Two paramedics were subsequently arrested.

Khairat further emphasized the significance of this particular raid, adding that it was incredible not only because it targeted a hospital but also due to the manner in which the Israeli forces conducted themselves.

In a statement, the Israeli military claimed that they engaged in a firefight with Palestinian fighters, who then utilized ambulances to flee towards the Ibn Sina Hospital in an attempt to seek refuge. The army reported the arrest of one Palestinian fighter at the entrance of the medical facility.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Israel initiated its offensive against Hamas on October 7, resulting in the deaths of a minimum of 11,500 people in the Gaza Strip.

On Friday, the Commission for Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Affairs announced that Israeli forces had arrested 47 Palestinians in the West Bank overnight. Of these arrests, 26 were made in Nelin, west of Ramallah.

A shootout between Palestinian fighters and Israeli troops took place at a checkpoint north of Hebron on Friday, resulting in the deaths of two Palestinians, according to Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi, reporting from Ramallah.

On Thursday, three Palestinians were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers after opening fire at another checkpoint in the West Bank. Israeli officials stated that one soldier was killed during that attack.

Basravi mentioned that such incidents involving small arms and explosives have been on the rise in recent weeks, fueled by mounting anger over civilian casualties in Gaza and the ongoing occupation of the West Bank.

Since October 7, a total of 203 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli raids in the West Bank.