1 of 3 Smoke is seen in Jenin in the West Bank after the start of an Israeli operation there on June 19, 2023 Photo: Majdi Mohammed/AP Smoke is seen in Jenin in the West Bank after the start of an Israeli operation Israeli deployment there on June 19, 2023 Photo: Majdi Mohammed/AP
Israeli troops on Monday (19) conducted an operation in the West Bank that resulted in 5 Palestinians died and 66 others were injured. Jerusalem claims two of those killed were members of the Islamic Jihad armed group.
The operation, launched to arrest two Islamic Jihad operatives, was accompanied by helicopters supporting Israeli fighters on the ground. Armed conflict between the two sides Seven members of the army were also wounded.
Israeli media reported it was the first use of a combat helicopter in the area since the Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s.
An Israeli attack helicopter flies over the West Bank region of Jenin during an operation 19 June 2023 Photo: Raneen Sawafta/Portal An Israeli attack helicopter flies over the West Bank region of Jenin during an operation 19 June 2023 Photo : Raneen Sawafta/Portal
The Israeli military said troops experienced an “intense exchange of fire” and fired on Palestinian gunmen during a detention operation in Jenin.
“As security forces left the city, a military vehicle was hit by an IED, damaging it,” the army said, adding that the helicopters “opened fire on the gunmen to aid in the troop withdrawal.”
The militants’ bombing in the West Bank was “very unusual and dramatic,” said Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, adding that it could have implications for future military strategy in the area.
Israel has not confirmed that the two targets of the operation were detained or killed.
3 of 3 Israeli armored vehicles drive through the streets of Jenin in the West Bank during an operation on June 19, 2023 Photo: Mohammed Torokman/Portal Israeli armored vehicles drive through the streets of Jenin in the West Bank during an operation on June 19, 2023 Photo: Mohammed Torokman/Portal
Egypt’s foreign ministry condemned what it called “the ongoing escalation by Israel against the Palestinians,” saying it only fueled the situation and undermined efforts to defuse regional tensions.
Israel and Palestinians have endured months of violence, mostly concentrated in the West Bank, where about 124 Palestinians have been killed this year. The city of Jenin was a focal point of the fighting.
On the other hand, around 20 Israelis have already been killed in Palestinian attacks this year.