TEL AVIV: The Israeli military said early Monday it had launched airstrikes on the Palestinian city of Jenin directed at “terrorist” infrastructure, reported German news agency (dpa).
The aerial assault, in which at least one Palestinian was killed, heralded a large-scale offensive code-named “Home and Garden”, according to Israeli media reports.
The Jenin refugee camp, described by the army as a “terrorist” stronghold, had also been targeted.
“We will not standby idle while ‘terrorists’ continue to harm civilians using the Jenin Camp as a hideout,” Israel Defence Forces (IDF) tweeted.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the Israeli Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency said that the airstrikes hit a command and communications centre used as a weapons depot, “terrorist” assembly point and observation post, as well as other targets.
According to the report, there were power outages across Jenin.
According to Palestinian accounts, Israeli soldiers entered the city shortly after the airstrikes and fought battles with Palestinian freedom fighters.
Jenin, in the northern West Bank, has emerged as a stronghold of Palestinian freedom fighters’ factions. The city has seen frequent deadly confrontations between Israeli forces and Palestinian freedom fighters.
The already tense security situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories has recently deteriorated further.
After a deadly attack by two Palestinians on four Israelis in the West Bank two weeks ago, there was repeated massive violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians there.
Since then, the Israeli army has conducted more raids in the West Bank, leading to repeated clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 130 Palestinians have been killed in confrontations with the Israeli military. In the same period, 22 Israelis, a Ukrainian woman and an Italian were killed in attacks.
Israel seized the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinians claim the territories for their own state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Jenin camp was settled by Palestinian refugees evicted from their homes after the 1948 Palestine War. – BERNAMA-dpa
