Israel attacks the West Bank, killing at least ten Palestinians

At least 10 Palestinians have been killed during a significant Israeli military operation in the northern occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

The Israeli security forces described the action as a "counterterrorism operation" in Jenin and Tulkarm, stating that they had killed "five armed terrorists from the air and ground."

Additionally, four others were reported killed in an airstrike during a concurrent operation in the al-Faraa refugee camp near Tubas. Another death was recorded west of Jenin.

Local journalists remarked that they had not witnessed an operation of this magnitude in the West Bank since the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, two decades ago.

The operation comes amid a surge in violence in the West Bank following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent conflict in Gaza.

Israeli forces have intensified their raids, aiming to curb deadly Palestinian attacks in both the West Bank and Israel, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians.

Israeli media reported that hundreds of Israeli forces were active across at least four cities in the northern West Bank: Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas, and Nablus.

The Palestinian health ministry confirmed that seven bodies had been brought to the Tubas governmental hospital, with two more arriving at Jenin governmental hospital.

The Palestinian Red Crescent initially reported at least nine deaths across the West Bank but later revised the toll to 10, noting that the deceased included three people killed in a drone strike in Misilya, near Jenin, and four in al-Faraa refugee camp, near Tubas.

However, the governor of Jenin had earlier indicated that the death toll could be at least 11.

In Jenin, a frequent flashpoint, Israeli troops blocked all but one entrance to the city and established checkpoints. The health ministry reported that Israeli forces had surrounded Jenin government hospital, the nearby Ibn Sina hospital, the headquarters of the Palestinian Red Crescent, and the Friends of the Patients society.

The ministry warned that storming these hospitals would endanger the lives of patients and medical staff.

A journalist inside Jenin government hospital described the tense situation, stating that patients were being allowed to leave only after ID checks by Israeli forces.

The health ministry also accused Israeli forces of obstructing ambulance operations, which it claimed violated international law. The troops conducted searches in the Jenin refugee camp, a known base for armed groups and the site of previous fierce gun battles.

A camp resident reported hearing explosions and drone activity but noted that there was no sign of armed fighters confronting the Israeli forces at that time.

The resident added that Israeli armored bulldozers had destroyed the camp's main street and blocked the entrance with rubble.

A joint statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Shin Bet, and Israel Border Police confirmed that three armed terrorists who posed a threat to the security forces were killed in an aerial strike in Jenin.

The statement also mentioned that in Jenin and Tulkarm, additional armed terrorists were eliminated, suspects were apprehended, and weapons, including M-16s and ammunition, were confiscated.

The forces also reportedly exposed and dismantled explosives planted under local roads.

Hamas later issued a statement mourning six fighters killed by Israeli forces in Jenin on Wednesday.