Thursday marks day two of the Israeli military and security forces' large-scale raid into the West Bank, the biggest seen in at least two decades. Fierce fighting overnight focused on a mosque in the city of Tulkarem, resulting in five Palestinian gunmen being killed.
The first day of the major assault involving hundreds of IDF troops and Shin Bet security personnel left at least nine Palestinians dead. Fighter jets, drones, and bulldozers have been seen focusing counter-terror efforts in the towns of Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas - each which also contains sprawling refugee camps.
Amid international criticism over the apparent expansion of the Gaza war into the PA-administered West Bank, Israeli leadership says it has intelligence showing that if it didn't act, another Oct.7-style terror attack might have been launched from operatives in the West Bank.
As for the now pacified showdown at the Tulkarem mosque, Israeli media describes that at one point the military launched shoulder-fired missiles at the mosque:
The Yamam officers carried out a tactic known as "pressure cooker" that involves escalating the volume of fire directed at a building to force suspects to come out.
The Israeli forces had fired shoulder-launched missiles at the mosque as part of the tactic, and two gunmen were killed. In an adjacent building, another four gunmen were identified, and three of them were killed in an exchange of fire with the Yamam officers, while the fourth surrendered.
Among the dead who had been holed up in the mosque was Muhammad Jaber, aka Abu Shuja’, believed to be the commander of the Islamic Jihad’s local wing. The IDF says it has recovered explosive devices at the site.
Militants are not only being targeted by ground forces in the ongoing West Bank operations, but drone strikes on vehicles are playing an active role as well. Attack helicopters are also coordinating these efforts.
Since Oct.7, the West Bank has seen internecine fighting, also involving Jewish settlers. In all, Palestinian sources say that 650 West Bank Palestinians have been killed since the Gaza war began. The Israeli side has said during the same period 27 Israelis, including security personnel have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank.
Things haven't been this violent in the West Bank since the Second Intifada, but the prior intifiadas of 20+ years ago show that things could always get worse.
None of this bodes well for efforts to achieve a Gaza ceasefire deal, talks which have been centered in Cairo. Hamas is likely to point to Israel's expansion of the war into the West Bank as a reason to show Tel Aviv isn't serious about peace.