Israeli assault on Jenin, Tulkarm displaces thousands

Israel has expanded its military assault on the occupied West Bank, which began on 19 January, focusing on the Jenin refugee camp.

As the siege on Jenin tightens, humanitarian aid has been blocked with thousands forced to flee their homes. Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have left much of Jenin in ruins, with entire neighbourhoods destroyed.

Israeli forces have killed 26 Palestinians in the attacks and wounded dozens more.

This escalation follows months of Israeli military activity throughout the occupied West Bank.

Tulkarm under siege

Israeli forces have stepped up their assault on Tulkarm over the past eight days, with additional troops and reinforcements being deployed.

Palestinian families have been forced to flee their homes due to the ongoing bombardment, while others are under siege with limited access to food, medicine, and basic services.

The Palestinian ministry of health reported that the destruction of medical facilities in the area left many Palestinians without access to essential care.

In Jenin, a hospital director confirmed that parts of the medical centre had been severely damaged due to the Israeli strikes.

Israeli forces expanded their offensive further into the northeastern West Bank on Sunday, targeting the Fara’a refugee camp and the town of Tammun, south of Tubas.

The raids resulted in mass evacuations, with Israeli troops forcing families from their homes while soldiers imposed further blockades on local roads.

The raids have also affected local businesses and agricultural production, worsening the already precarious humanitarian conditions in the occupied territory.

Palestinian Authority response

The escalating situation has prompted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Sunday.

Abbas condemned Israel’s actions, claiming that the continued attacks on Palestinian towns, the destruction of residential areas, and the displacement of civilians amounted to “a deliberate strategy to erase the Palestinian presence” from the West Bank.

He called for international intervention to halt the Israeli military’s “systematic campaign of terror” against Palestinians.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) insisted that Israel’s operations are not limited to military targets but are targeting entire neighbourhoods, with civilians being caught in the crossfire.

“This policy of collective punishment, which includes home demolitions, arbitrary detentions, and violence against civilians, is designed to break the will of the Palestinian people and force them from their land,” the statement read.