Israel persists with military action in the West Bank, resulting in the demise of three Hamas militants.
Israeli military operations commenced in the West Bank on a Wednesday, labeling them as counter-terrorism efforts. As per reports from the Israeli military and Palestinian Ministry of Health, a minimum of 19 Palestinians lost their lives by Friday.
On the subsequent Thursday evening, Israeli soldiers withdrew from various Palestinian cities. Nevertheless, clashes persisted in Jenin, a region renowned for militant Palestinian activists. An AFP journalist reported loud blasts and extensive smoke hovering over the refugee camp within the metropolis.
The UN voiced its concerns over the Israeli military operation amplifying the already tense situation in the West Bank. The British government expressed "deep worry" over Israel's conduct. The French government cautioned that Israel's actions were exacerbating an anomalous climate of unrest and violence. Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares denounced the escalation of violence in the West Bank as "intolerable".
Israel supposedly concluded a prolonged military operation in the central and southern Gaza Strip. The operation in Khan Yunis and Deir el-Balah concluded after nearly a month, reported the military on a Friday. Over 250 "terrorists" were reportedly killed, and "terrorist facilities" were dismantled during the conflict.
Residents of Khan Yunis discovered substantial destruction upon their return to the city. A 48-year-old woman named Amal al-Astal, along with her neighbors, reported their homes to have been demolished. She also came across the decaying corpse of a neighbor.
In other areas of the Gaza Strip, Israeli military operations continued. An AFP journalist reported artillery fire in the western section of Gaza City. The Hamas-controlled civil defense reported two casualties in an attack on the Jabalia refugee camp. Three more individuals were declared dead in an attack near Khan Yunis, as per the Nasser Hospital in the city.
On Thursday evening, Israel consented to restricted ceasefires in the Gaza Strip for a polio vaccination campaign, as per the WHO. "Humanitarian pauses" of three days each in the central, southern, and northern sections of the coastal strip would commence from Sunday, intending to vaccinate above 640,000 children.
The representative of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Israel was cooperating with the WHO and UNICEF "for a massive-scale polio vaccination mission in the Gaza Strip". Nevertheless, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a general "ceasefire". Hamas approved a "humanitarian ceasefire" proposed by the UN.
Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a disease brought about by a virus that targets the spinal cord, potentially leading to lifelong paralysis in children. The virus was detected in wastewater samples in Khan Yunis and the heart of the Gaza Strip in July. The initial case of polio was detected in a ten-month-old baby in Deir al-Balah.
Meanwhile, the head of UN peacekeeping missions, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, discussed during a Brussels visit that the likelihood of a regional intensification of the conflict between Israel and Hamas remained "extremely high". The situation is "extremely dangerous".
The UN called for an immediate de-escalation of the tensions in the West Bank, urging both Israel and Palestinians to exercise restraint. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres appealed to the international community to intervene and prevent a full-blown conflict.
