Palestine - August 2024

Israel launched what it calls a large “counterterrorism” military operation in the West Bank, targeting the densely populated northern governorates of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), in coordination with the Border Police and the Shin Bet –Israel’s internal security service–, deployed ground troops, helicopters, and fighter jets, resulting in at least 22 Palestinian deaths. While large-scale IDF operations in the West Bank, occupied since 1967, are common, Israeli sources described the operation as the largest since 2002, labeling it as a "counterterrorism" operation against the “infrastructure” and leaders of Palestinian resistance groups, including Hamas. Civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and refugee camps, was violently raided by the IDF. Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz’s proposed a Gaza-style "temporary evacuation" of the population, raising concerns regarding the intensification of Israeli violence and forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank. As of the end of August, the military operation was ongoing.

Sources: Associated Press, Al Jazeera, The Times of Israel, United Nations