Israeli Forces Launch Deadliest West Bank Operation: 37 Killed, Including Hamas Fighters
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have launched one of their deadliest military operations in the West Bank, resulting in the deaths of 37 individuals, including eight Hamas fighters. This ongoing operation has intensified with ground and aerial assaults, targeting various locations in the region. According to the IDF, the operation aims to eliminate Hamas militants believed to be hiding in Palestinian settlements in the West Bank. However, local Palestinians argue that the people being targeted are innocent civilians, not militants.
The IDF has reported that among those killed were several key Hamas figures, including Ahmad Fawzi Nazer Muhammad Wadia, a commander of the Nukhba Company in the Daraj Tufah Battalion, and members of Hamas's paragliding unit. Wadia had previously orchestrated a deadly attack on October 7, using a paraglider to massacre civilians in Netiv HaAsara.
Over the past week, the Israeli military's offensive in the West Bank has resulted in the deaths of 29 Palestinians, with many more injured. The Israeli government claims that most of the deceased are Hamas fighters, but Palestinian sources insist that the victims are predominantly civilians.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has lasted for nearly 11 months, has seen significant casualties on both sides. On Monday, the IDF also conducted an airstrike on Safad School in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City, killing at least 11 people and injuring many others. The school had been serving as a shelter for hundreds of displaced Palestinians. The attack occurred amidst a temporary ceasefire agreed upon by Hamas and Israel to allow for a United Nations polio vaccination campaign in the area.
This operation comes in the context of Israel's continued control over the West Bank, a territory it occupied during the Arab-Israeli war. As the conflict drags on, both sides have suffered significant losses, with little sign of resolution in sight.