The Other Front

The Israeli military blew up over a score of buildings in the West Bank city of Jenin this week, part of a counterterrorism offensive launched last month to destroy “terrorist infrastructure,” a mission Palestinian officials are denouncing as “ethnic cleansing,” the Washington Post reported.

Footage from local media showed the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) carrying out controlled demolitions Sunday on 23 structures as part of Operation Iron Wall which began last month.

The IDF said it had “dismantled” the structures after scanning hundreds of buildings for weapons, explosives, and other elements of terrorist activity.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported evacuating trapped civilians, while the Palestinian Authority (PA) Health Ministry confirmed at least five deaths in Jenin, including a 16-year-old.

Since the operation began, Israeli forces have killed more than 50 Palestinians in the cities of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tamun, with 15 more killed in drone strikes. The IDF has also acknowledged mistakenly killing a number of civilians, including a toddler, according to the Times of Israel.

More than 100 suspected militants have been detained, and Israeli troops have seized 40 weapons and neutralized over 80 explosive devices, Israeli officials said.

The PA condemned the recent Israeli military action and called on the United States to intervene. The PA Health Ministry reported that 70 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank this year, including 10 children, one woman, and two elderly individuals.

Israel’s intensified operations in the West Back come amid broader tensions stemming from its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.

Since then, the IDF has arrested about 6,000 Palestinians in the West Bank, including over 2,350 linked to Hamas. More than 858 Palestinians in the territory have been killed in that period, with Israel saying that the majority were combatants or rioters engaged in attacks.

While the West Bank remains volatile, ceasefire negotiations regarding Gaza continue.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the US to discuss the next phase of a truce with Hamas, focusing on the release of remaining hostages and talks on a long-term resolution.

Meanwhile, in Qatar, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with senior Hamas officials, who accused Israel of stalling humanitarian aid efforts and hospital reconstruction in Gaza.