Israeli raids in several cities: Islamic Jihad accuses Israel of wanting to extend the war to the West Bank.

La vaste offensive israélienne a touché notamment la ville de Tulkarem. palestiniens. MAXPPP – ALAA BADARNEH

Une vaste offensive israélienne lancée dans plusieurs communes, dont Jénine et Tulkarem. L’État hébreu affirme mener sur place une opération de "contre-terrorisme".

At least ten people were killed on Wednesday during a large Israeli offensive in several cities in the occupied West Bank, including Jenin and Tulkarem, Palestinian intelligence services announced.

The Jewish state claims to have carried out a “counter-terrorism” operation on the ground.

The Israeli army promised to provide details on this operation soon, after publishing the names of five Palestinian fighters it killed on Monday in the Nour Shams refugee camp, also in West Bank.

Clashes have increased sharply in the occupied West Bank since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip, with Israel stepping up operations against Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which are backed by Iran.

Ongoing fighting

The armed branches of the two Islamist groups, as well as that of Fatah of the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, have also reported in separate communiqués that fighting is underway against Israeli forces.

Islamic Jihad accuses Israel of wanting to extend the war in Gaza to the West Bank. He said his fighters used explosives against soldiers, armored vehicles and bulldozers deployed as part of the Israeli military operation.

Many deaths

Thousands of Palestinians have been arrested and more than 660 fighters and civilians have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the start of the war in Gaza nearly eleven months ago, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

At least thirty Israelis have been killed in attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank during this period, he said. Israel.

“Very serious terrorist act”

The commander of Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank admitted, moreover, on Wednesday that he had “failed” to protect a Palestinian village from a raid by armed Jewish settlers that left one dead in mid-August, which he described “a very serious terrorist act".