At least two Palestinians were killed on Thursday in a clash with Israeli forces in the northern West Bank. The deaths come amid a wave of attacks in Israel – one claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group.
The case in Jenin came after the Israeli army and police patrolling the region’s border entered a refugee camp in the city to, according to Tel Aviv authorities, “arrest suspected terrorists”. The agents were reportedly met with shots, leading to a reaction.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said the two men killed are 17 and 23 years old. In addition to them, an Israeli soldier was slightly wounded in the action.
“The continuous attacks and daily deaths of our people and the daily crimes of the settlers will lead to more tension in the region,” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement. On Tuesday (29), the politician condemned the attack by a Palestinian against residents of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish neighborhood in Tel Aviv – at the time, five people died, in addition to the attacker, who was killed by a policeman.
It was this attack, in fact, the key point for the intensification of the operations of the Israeli forces in the West Bank. Since the last day 22, at least 14 people have died in episodes of this type in the country.
Hours after Thursday’s clash, a 30-year-old Palestinian stabbed a man inside an Israeli bus near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. The assailant was shot to death by another passenger, and the attacked subject was taken with injuries to a hospital.
Amidst the tensions, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced a series of measures to deal with what he described as a new wave of attacks. According to him, more police will be posted on the streets and security will be reinforced in the areas bordering the West Bank.
Analysts point out that the fact that the recent attacks were carried out by people acting alone, and not by organizations or groups, makes it difficult for the Israeli government to respond – which cannot precisely define the target of a counterattack, as it did after, for example, Hamas dropping bombs on Israel.
The group praised some of the recent actions, without claiming them.
There are some justifications for the increase in tension in the region. From Saturday (2), Muslims celebrate the holy period of Ramadan, which will coincide with the Jewish holiday of Pesach and Passover. Last year, this time of year was marked by even greater conflicts in the Gaza Strip, which left 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead in 11 days of fighting.
Another factor, according to experts, is the unwillingness of extremist groups with the strengthening of institutional relations between Israel and Arab countries. Earlier this week, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid received his counterparts from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Morocco — and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Additionally, at a summit on Wednesday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with Jordan’s King Abdullah, who has custody of Muslim and Christian holy sites in the eastern part of the West Bank. At the time, both defended that the period be calm.
