UN Calls for De-escalation After Deadly Israeli Raids in West Bank
Five more Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces during a second day of raids in the occupied West Bank, prompting the UN to call for immediate de-escalation. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that the five were “terrorists hiding inside a mosque” in Tulkarm, near the Israeli border.
The raids are part of a significant counter-terrorism operation launched by Israel on Wednesday, targeting multiple cities across the West Bank. Death tolls have varied, with the IDF initially stating that nine militants were killed on the first day—five in Jenin and Tulkarm, and four in the al-Faraa refugee camp. However, the Palestinian health ministry reported that 12 people had been killed by Thursday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel to halt the operation, warning that it was exacerbating an already volatile situation. He called on Israeli forces to exercise maximum restraint and use lethal force only as a last resort.
The IDF claimed that the five Palestinians killed in Tulkarm died during “exchanges of fire.” One of the fatalities, Mohammed Jaber, also known as Abu Shujaa, was identified as the local leader of the Tulkarem Brigade, a group linked to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The IDF accused Jaber of being involved in attacks on Israelis and planning more.
In Jenin, Israeli forces continued their operation in the city’s refugee camp, a stronghold for armed groups. The situation remains tense, with access to the camp blocked, Palestinian phone networks down, and occasional explosions and gunfire heard.
This is the largest Israeli military action in the West Bank since the second Palestinian intifada two decades ago. Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, defended the operation, stating its goal is to prevent “Iranian terror-by-proxy” targeting Israeli civilians. Israeli officials have accused Iran of trying to smuggle explosives into the region through its support for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The escalation in the West Bank follows increased violence since Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned that Israel’s operation should not lead to an expansion of the conflict beyond Gaza. He also initiated discussions within the EU on potentially sanctioning unnamed Israeli ministers for “unacceptable hate messages” against Palestinians and actions that violate international law.
