Middle East Crisis West Bank

Israeli operation in the West Bank expected to last for days

Israel is conducting raids in the occupied West Bank as part of an operation expected to continue for several days, reports The Times of Israel.

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that the Shin Bet security service, the Border Police, and the Civil Administration carried out “targeted and thorough searches in the area to locate and neutralize terror infrastructure and weapons, and to interrogate several dozen suspects.”

The raid follows a shooting incident in the West Bank in which five people were shot. Two Israeli soldiers were killed, as were the two Palestinian perpetrators.

The West Bank is a Palestinian territory that has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. The region has recently been marked by heightened tension, following several high-profile acts of violence committed by Israeli settlers.

Families displaced from Hebron amid Israeli offensive

Around 250 families in the city of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, have been forced to leave their homes following the launch of an offensive by Israel, reports AFP.

Higazi Shawer al-Tamimi, a 70-year-old shop owner, says he was awakened in the middle of the night by soldiers who told him he had to leave the area—but he has no intention of doing so.

“I have lived through every phase of the occupation, and I will die here.”

Israel launched the offensive following an attack on a military post on Friday, in which two soldiers were killed. According to Israel, the Palestinian perpetrators, who were killed in connection with the attack, came from an area in Hebron.