‘West Bank Operation!’ Israeli Drone Strike Kills Two in Palestine

OwelekeTV — The Palestinian health ministry on Friday said an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle near the West Bank town of Qabatiya killed two people.

This is said to be the fourth day of a large-scale Israeli operation in the nearby city of Jenin launched after the truce in Gaza.

According to the Israeli military, an air strike had hit a vehicle with what it said was a terrorist cell inside but gave no further details.

According to gathered report,  the military has been carrying out a major operation in Jenin aiming to crack down on Palestinian militant groups it says are backed by Iran, launched two days after a ceasefire took effect in the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian health officials said no fewer than 12 Palestinians have been killed in the operation including two claimed by the armed wing of Hamas.

The Israeli military said it had also arrested 20 wanted suspects and seized weapons.

Spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Thameen Al-Kheetan, said he was deeply concerned about the use of unlawful lethal force, adding that the Jenin operation raised serious concerns about unnecessary or disproportionate force.

Fighting in Gaza has halted for the start of a six-week first phase of a ceasefire backed by the United States.

Israeli officials say the operation in Jenin is part of a multifront war against an axis of Iranian-backed groups in the West Bank, southern Lebanon and Yemen.

The Cease Fire 

OwelekeTV News reports that today soldiers are held in Gaza in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners under its ceasefire deal with Israel.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians forcibly displaced from northern Gaza by Israeli bombardment and evacuation threats are hoping to return to their areas as the ceasefire holds.

The UN has accused Israel of using “war-like” tactics in its military operation in the occupied West Bank’s Jenin city and its refugee camp as the death toll reaches at least 14 people killed by Israeli forces in five days.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 47,283 Palestinians and wounded 111,472 since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks that day and more than 200 taken captive.

Hamas is expected to release [four Israeli] captives today. We do not know where the release is going to happen. However, we have spotted an ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross] convoy in southern Gaza.

After the captives are released, Israeli forces are going to withdraw [from the Netzarim Corridor in the centre of Gaza] and Palestinians are going to be able to return to Gaza City and northern Gaza.

That’s what people are waiting for. They’re anxious. They’re stressed. They’re waiting for the Israeli captives to be released so they can take a deep breath and be 100 percent sure they are going home tomorrow.

Background

The ceasefire was announced on 15 January, after months of negotiations led by the US, Qatar and Egypt.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has begun after 15 months of war.

It is based on a proposal set out by former US President Joe Biden in May 2024. The deal will be carried out in three stages:

The deal aims to bring a permanent end to the fighting and will see hostages held by Hamas in Gaza exchanged for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

About 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken back to Gaza as hostages, when Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023.

This triggered a massive Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has killed almost 47,000 Palestinians, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

Stage one

This will last 42 days, during which:

There will be a complete ceasefire
Hamas will release a total of 33 hostages – women (including female soldiers), children, some older men and the sick – at regular intervals

Israel on the other hand will release about 1,900 Palestinian prisoners.

Israeli forces will leave populated areas
Palestinian civilians will be allowed to return to their neighbourhoods.

Hundreds of aid lorries will be allowed into Gaza each day.

Israeli troops will remain in Gaza’s border areas, including the southern Philadelphi Corridor, but will leave the Netzarim Corridor, a military zone cutting off the north of Gaza

Stage two

Sixteen days after the start of stage one, negotiations will begin on the second stage, during which:

A permanent ceasefire will be established
Remaining living hostages in Gaza will be exchanged for more Palestinian prisoners
Israeli forces will make a complete withdrawal

Stage three

The final part of the agreement will see:

The return of all remaining bodies of dead hostages.

The reconstruction of Gaza, which is expected to take years.

More updates to come soon…