In a large-scale raid on a refugee camp in Jenin, 10 people were shot dead along with 20 others severely injured.
In the occupied West Bank region, Israeli troops have killed 10 Palestinians in one of the deadliest raids since the beginning of last year.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the Israeli forces raided the refugee camp area in Jenin and killed nine of the Palestinians.
The other man, a 22-year-old Palestinian was shot by the Israeli forces in the northern town of Al-Ram in Jerusalem.
The Palestinians described the raid of Jenin as a “massacre” in which 20 were badly wounded with live ammunition, including four others in critical condition.
Magda Obaid, an elderly woman was identified among the dead by the Jenin Hospital authorities.
After the Jenin killings, Israeli forces withdrew from the area, saying they were looking into the reports of the woman’s death.
High casualties in Jenin including children
Meanwhile, an armed militia group named Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade affiliated with the Palestinian political party Fatah – claimed that among the dead included one of their fighters, Izz al-Din Salahat.
One more person named Saeb Azriqi, 24 years old succumbed to his injuries in a hospital, said the Health ministry.
The situation on the ground was very strenuous, with injured people continuously heading to the hospital, while the Israeli forces were blocking the ambulances and medics.
“The number of injuries in terms of the unprecedented invasion is still unpredictable”, said Wissem Baker, head of the Jenin public hospital when speaking with Al Jazeera.
“While we were moving the martyrs, the Israeli forces blocked the route and started shooting at the ambulance,” said Baker.
The forces even fired tear gas canisters towards the hospital, directly affecting the children’s division, causing suffocation and injuries to children and others, he added.
The Israeli army debunked any theory of firing tear gas directly at the hospital. The area of unrest was not too far away from the hospital, it is possible that some tear gas might have been vented through the window. Defending his argument the army officials said “ Nothing was out of purpose.”
“The Palestinian Authority (PA) had announced to curb the security coordination with Israel”, said Nabil Abu Rudeineh a spokesperson for (PA).
In a press conference in Ramallah, he told “As for now it won’t be enforced”
Further adding the move was against the repeated aggressions toward Palestinians and violation of International Law by the state of Israel.
“Those who gave their lives in defending our motherland owe our sincere respect,” the spokesperson said.
He also demanded an International Criminal Court probe into Thursday the 20th January killings.
The President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas declared a third day of mourning, with flags flown at half mast during the period.
PM Shtayyeh seeks UN intervention
The Prime Minister of Palestine Mohammad Shtayyeh called the United Nations and all the International Human Rights Organizations to intervene in the incident.
He released a statement in which he demanded an urgent intervention to provide the necessary protection and to stop the further killing of Palestinian people.
Saudi Arabia has condemned the heinous Israeli raid and called upon the international community to put a halt to Israel’s escalating aggression. Reported by the Saudi Press Agency.
“The response of the resistance will not be delayed,” said Saleh Al Arouri, a prominent leader of the Hamas movement governing the Blockaded Gaza Strip.
Youmna el- Sayed, a correspondent of Al Jazeera reporting from Gaza, said the Hamas and other Palestinian factions announced a day of mourning and declared a state of alert.
“The International community should hold the war criminals accountable for their crimes and the people of Gaza to step out on the street and express their rage against the Jenin massacre,” she added.
Israel justifies its operation
The Israeli forces accuse the locals by justifying their operation, the army said that they were sent to detain the Islamic jihad fighters suspected of “multiple major attacks” in Jenin.
The forces besieged the camp with armored vehicles, undercover forces, and snipers on the roof in the early hours. Clashes broke down soon with the Palestinian fighters.
“During the operation, the forces surrounded a building with possible suspects hiding. Two suspects were neutralized while fleeing the scene.” said the Israeli officials.
Jenin is the northernmost region of the West Bank where Israeli operations have been intensified in an attempt to subdue the growing armed Palestinian resistance.
“The ignorant attitude of the Arab nations is further fueling the Israeli interest in raiding and killing the Palestinian population,” said Aleef Sabbagh, a political analyst specializing in Israeli affairs.
“In May last year, Israeli forces brutally killed Shireen Abu Akleh a veteran journalist covering the occupied Palestinian territories, and there was no accountability for that. “If that remains, Israel will do what it wants to do without fear,” he added.
“The locals who were killed were only protecting themselves in the refugee camp, they were clearly not attempting to shoot any Israeli in their area,” said Mawan Bishara a Senior Political Analyst at Al Jazeera.
The number of Palestinians killed in East Jerusalem and the West Bank has risen to at least 29, along with five children. Out of those 15 were from Jenin.
Following the raids, more than 170 Palestinians were killed in 2022.
Read more: Deaths by heart disease increased in the US during COVID-19 pandemic
