Scene of an Israeli raid in Jenin in the northern West Bank. Photo: AFP

Violence broke out again in the West Bank last week. At least 16 people have been killed and dozens more injured in the deadliest violence in the West Bank for years.

Bloodiest violence in the West Bank

The violence began with an Israeli military raid on the Palestinian refugee camp Jenin on January 26. The Israeli military said the raid targeted the Islamic Jihad (PIJ) to prevent a planned attack on Israel. The PIJ said they fought the Israeli army with guns and planted explosive devices. Palestine’s Health Ministry said 9 Palestinians were killed and 20 others injured in the clash in Jenin.

A day after the raid, a 21-year-old Palestinian opened fire near a synagogue in Jerusalem, killing 7 Israelis and injuring 10 others. It was the deadliest attack on Israelis in Jerusalem for years. A few hours later, a 13-year-old Palestinian shot and wounded two Jews in East Jerusalem.

After those attacks the Israeli police and military detained dozens of Palestinians for questioning. Last Saturday, Israel's security cabinet announced new measures against the relatives of Palestinians who carried out the attacks. The Israeli government and military said they will take all necessary measures to protect Israeli people.

The Hamas Islamist movement in the Gaza Strip and the PIJ in the West Bank have called on all Palestinians to take retaliatory actions against Israel. The Palestinian Authority announced an immediate halt to the security cooperation plan with Israel in the West Bank.

International community calls to end violence, restore stability in the Middle East

Regional and global observers fear that a new cycle of bloody violence could flare up between Palestinians and Israelis, turning into a new Palestinian Intifada against the Israeli army, similar to that in 2000-2005.

To prevent the worst scenario, many countries and international organizations have called on Palestine and Israel to show restraint and resume talks. Pope Francis last Sunday appealed for calm and swift solutions to end a “death spiral” of violence between Palestinians and Israelis. He appealed to the international community to find other paths, immediately and without delay, including dialogue and a sincere search for peace.

Russia, China, and the EU have called on both governments to ease violence. In separate reactions they attributed the re-occurrence of conflict to the failure of the two-state solution, emphasizing the need to immediately advance peace negotiations between Palestine and Israel, towards to a comprehensive, equitable, and lasting solution.

Finding a solution to the violence between Palestinians and Israelis and restoring stability in the Middle East were high on the agenda on Monday meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, and Egyptian high-ranking officials in Cairo. They underlined the necessity of refraining from violence and promptly resuming peace talks under international auspices.

The Egyptian President reiterated his country's commitment to reaching a comprehensive and just solution that guarantees the rights of Palestinians under international standards, as well as peace, stability, cooperation, and shared development in the Middle East.