Israel has destroyed a number of buildings within the occupied West Financial institution’s Jenin refugee camp, hours after its forces killed a 73-year-old man, the Palestinian Ministry of Well being mentioned.
At the least 20 properties have been destroyed within the assault on Sunday, in blasts so highly effective they have been heard throughout Jenin and in surrounding cities, Palestinian information company Wafa reported.
Al Jazeera Arabic correspondents added that the explosions blew up a residential block within the camp’s ad-Damj neighbourhood.
The Israeli navy confirmed the assault, saying it had destroyed “a number of buildings” in Jenin that “have been used as terrorist infrastructure”, with out offering proof. It added that it had killed 50 Palestinian fighters within the West Financial institution since mid-January.
In a separate incident in Arroub, within the southern West Financial institution, the Israeli military killed a 27-year-old man, named as Mohammed Amjad Hadoush, the Palestinian Well being Ministry and the Palestinian Pink Crescent mentioned.
The Israeli navy launched a main offensive within the occupied West Financial institution final month, dubbed “Iron Wall”, targeted totally on attacking Palestinian armed teams from the Jenin space, simply after it started a ceasefire with the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza on January 19.
Sunday’s explosions mark an escalation as Israel more and more commits unrestrained assaults on Palestinian infrastructure.
“The sounds are horrific,” Jenin resident Henna al-Haj Hassan informed Al Jazeera through cellphone in regards to the explosions.
Hassan mentioned she and different Jenin residents have confronted ongoing assaults for 2 weeks. She added {that a} curfew was in place, with outlets and different companies closed.
The director of Jenin Authorities Hospital, Wisam Baker, informed Wafa some sections of the hospital have been broken because of the explosions, however no casualties have been reported.
Many households are actually displaced because of the demolitions, the information company mentioned.
Ahmed Tobasi, one other Jenin resident, mentioned the homes within the Jenin camp “aren’t actually livable any extra” resulting from Israel destroying infrastructure.
“The Israeli military doesn’t want any excuse to destroy our homes and displace us,” the lifelong Jenin resident informed Al Jazeera.
“It is a very lengthy, outdated plan by the Israeli military, particularly for the [refugee] camps, as a result of they need to kill and make the Palestinian case die.”
He added: “So it’s not about terrorism; that is regular residences, individuals who reside – and once you speak about one home, it’s probably not one household dwelling there. In Jenin camp, you discover one home with three to 4 households.”
Aged man killed
The explosions occurred shortly after a 73-year-old man was killed by Israeli gunfire in Jenin’s refugee camp, the Palestinian Well being Ministry mentioned on Sunday, the newest casualty of Israel’s swooping raids.
“The Israeli military has arrange a number of roadblocks and different checkpoints throughout the occupied West Financial institution and there have been no less than 27 Palestinians who’ve been killed,” Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut mentioned.
“Lots of them are civilians, together with a two-year-old lady who was shot within the head whereas consuming dinner at dwelling together with her household, and a 73-year-old aged man shot by Israeli forces this morning.”
Witnesses reported a big deployment of Israeli forces on Sunday morning across the cities of Tubas and Tammun, southeast of Jenin.
The military mentioned early on Sunday {that a} “tactical group” had begun operations round Tammun and had uncovered weapons.
It added it was extending the “counterterrorism” operation to 5 villages.
It additionally distributed leaflets in Arabic saying the operation was meant to “eradicate armed criminals, the lackeys of Iran”.
The Israeli authorities accuses Iran, which backs armed teams throughout the Center East together with Hamas in Gaza, of trying to ship weapons and cash to armed Palestinian teams within the occupied West Financial institution.
Israel’s Jenin operation has additionally forcibly displaced some 15,000 Palestinians.
Settlers storm cemetery, mosque
Additionally on Sunday, Israeli settlers stormed a cemetery in Silwan city, south of the Previous Metropolis in occupied East Jerusalem, underneath the safety of the Israeli military, in keeping with Wafa.
Native sources quoted by the Palestinian information company mentioned the settlers lower the fence that the townspeople had positioned across the cemetery and took management of it.
In the meantime, Palestinian shops reported that in a single day, a mosque within the Bedouin village of Arab al-Mleihat, northwest of Jericho, was set on hearth by Israeli settlers.
The Palestinian Ministry of Overseas Affairs condemned the assaults.
Violence by Israeli settlers and troopers towards Palestinians has surged throughout the occupied West Financial institution for the reason that Gaza conflict broke out in 2023.
Troopers or settlers have killed no less than 882 Palestinians for the reason that begin of the conflict, in keeping with the Palestinian Well being Ministry.
The settlements are unlawful underneath worldwide legislation however proceed to increase throughout the occupied West Financial institution and East Jerusalem with the complete help of the Israeli authorities.