 Repeated bloody violence has been reported in the West Bank (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
Repeated bloody violence has been reported in the West Bank following a raid by the Israeli army in the city of Nablus on February 22, which killed more than 100 Palestinians.
Bloody violence
On Thursday, the Israeli army conducted a raid on a refugee camp in Jenin city on a pretext of arresting suspects. Aljazeera TV reported that fierce clashes broke out between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian gunmen in the refugee camp, killing four Palestinians and wounding 23 others. Among the dead were a child and two gunmen. 10 days earlier, the Israeli army conducted another raid on Jenin for the same reason, killing six Palestinians and wounding dozens more. Following this raid, sporadic fighting continued almost daily in Jenin, resulting in numerous casualties among both civilians and Palestinian militants.
Clashes have been recorded in recent days at other West Bank locations, especially in Nablus. According to the Palestinian Authority, the Israeli military is stepping up military actions against the Palestinians in the West Bank and the international community is paying little attention.
Palestinian armed groups including the Islamic Movement of Hamas and the Jihadist Group vowed to launch attacks in response. The Israeli military raised its security alert level along the border with the Gaza Strip due to concerns that the Palestinians will fire rockets from Gaza into Israel in retaliation.
International observers say the violence in the West Bank is extremely concerning. The deadly clashes between Palestine and Israel continue despite international efforts to reduce tensions and curb the violence.
Efforts intensified to control the situation, promote reconciliation
On February 28, the UN Security Council held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the violence in the West Bank and issued a call for de-escalation and an immediate end to "unilateral actions". On February 25, Palestinian and Israeli representatives held a rare meeting in the Jordanian city of Aqaba, at which they agreed to cooperate to ensure security and de-escalate tensions.
On Thursday, the Office of the Spokesperson of the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement stating that the clash that killed four Palestinians in Jenin on Thursday further demonstrated the need to step up international efforts to end the violence and immediately resume peace negotiations between Palestine and Israel.
Aljazeera television quoted a statement by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that Palestine and Israel should immediately resume peace talks, pursue a two-state solution, and absolutely avoid unilateral actions that increase the risk of conflict, tension, and escalation of violence. Commander of the US Central Command (USCentcom) Michael Erik Kurilla said the situation in the West Bank was serious, requiring effective measures to avoid a spiral of violence.
The United Nations, the Arab League (AL), Middle East countries, and Europe have repeatedly urged Israel and Palestine to find ways to ease tensions in the West Bank, avoid moves that would escalate violence, and resume peace negotiations. In the immediate future, the two sides need to find a way to realize the commitment to de-escalate tensions agreed in Jordan on February 25 to restore order and stability.