Kathmandu, Aug 30: Late on Tuesday, Israeli security forces launched a large-scale military operation in the northern part of the Israeli-controlled West Bank, resulting in the deaths of several Palestinians.

Israel reported that nine people were killed in the operation, while Palestinian officials claimed at least 11 fatalities.

According to Palestinian authorities, six people died in armed clashes and drone strikes in Jenin, and five were killed in an airstrike on the al-Fara refugee camp in the Jordan Valley.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated that the military has been operating “with full force” in the Jenin and Tulkarm refugee camps since last night.

The Israel Defense Forces, Israel Security Service, and Police issued a joint statement, describing the operation as an “anti-terrorist operation” targeting Jenin and Tulkarm. The statement noted that three armed militants posing a threat to security forces in Jenin were killed in an airstrike.

This marks Israel’s largest military operation in the West Bank in two decades, with simultaneous attacks on at least four Palestinian towns, including Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus, and Tubas.

Israeli forces, supported by bulldozers and tanks, reportedly entered additional areas in the West Bank, including Ramallah, Qalqilya, and Tulkarm.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia and returned home in response to the escalating situation.

Harendra Mishra, a senior journalist based in Tel Aviv, noted in a BBC Hindi news podcast that Jenin and Tulkarm have become strongholds for extremist organizations, leading to Israel’s military response. Mishra added that the operation is seen as a reaction to a recent suicide attack in Tel Aviv, though it could also impact ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel.