Israeli forces raided the West Bank city of Jenin yesterday, killing at least nine Palestinians in what Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said was the start of a “large-scale and significant military operation.” The primary focus of the operation is a refugee camp near the city that Israeli and Palestinian Authority forces have frequently targeted as centers for armed groups. (Washington Post)
Our Take
While the military operation launched yesterday has received significant international attention, it is actually just the latest in a series of raids by Israeli forces across the West Bank that have been ramping up for nearly three years but have been largely overshadowed by the war in Gaza. Indeed, the West Bank in many ways had already become ground zero for Israeli-Palestinian violence over the past year.
Now, with the ceasefire in Gaza in effect, Israel has signaled that it will increase its military focus on the West Bank even more. Unlike in Gaza, though, the violence there involves a wider ranger of actors.