Intensifying Clashes: Israeli Airstrike in Jenin Sparks Heavy Casualties

Seven people were killed during an Israeli military operation in Jenin, West Bank. An airstrike targeted barricaded terrorists. Concurrently, Israel's plans to expand settlements in the West Bank surface, intensifying conflict. The violence has escalated since the October 7 Hamas raid, with cease-fire talks showing signs of revival.

Palestinian authorities have reported the deaths of seven individuals on Friday amid an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin. The Israeli military confirmed this was part of 'counterterrorism activity,' involving an airstrike.

According to military sources, Israeli soldiers had surrounded a building harboring terrorists, leading to an exchange of gunfire. An airstrike targeted several armed terrorists. The Palestinian Health Ministry stated that seven people died, without clarifying if the deaths resulted from the gunfire or airstrike. The Islamic Jihad militant group identified four of the deceased as its members.

This clash in Jenin, a militant hub, follows an announcement by an Israeli anti-settlement group about the construction of 5,300 new homes in West Bank settlements, aimed at solidifying Israel's hold on the territory. Palestinians seek an independent state comprising the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and Gaza, areas seized by Israel in 1967.

Since the onset of the Gaza war, sparked by an October 7 Hamas raid killing 1,200 Israelis, violence has surged in the West Bank. The Palestinian Health Ministry reports over 500 Palestinian deaths due to Israeli actions, with casualties including bystanders and victims of settler attacks.

Cease-fire talks, previously stalled, are showing renewed momentum. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dispatched negotiators, prompted by a recent Hamas response to a US-backed deal proposal. Mediators from the US, Qatar, and Egypt are striving to bridge the persisting divide. Hamas demands a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and cessation of hostilities, while Netanyahu insists on Hamas's elimination before ending the conflict. Negotiations will resume in Doha, with officials present from the US, Egypt, and Qatar.

(Disclaimer: With inputs from agencies.)