Israel's major military op West Bank must not constitute premises of war extension from Gaza: EU foreign policy chief

By Merve Berker

Israel's major military operation in the occupied West Bank must not constitute premises of war extension from Gaza, including full-scale destruction, the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Wednesday.

“The Israeli major military operation in the occupied West Bank must not constitute the premises of a war extension from Gaza, incl. full-scale destruction,” Borrell said on X.

“The parallel drew by (Israeli Foreign) Minister Katz, especially on evacuating Palestinian residents, threatens to fuel further instability,” he added.

Earlier, the Israeli army launched a major military operation in the northern West Bank, the largest in two decades.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the army operation includes the “temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents" from areas in the northern West Bank.

At least ten Palestinians have been killed since the start of the operation, according to the latest figures released by the Health Ministry.

Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank amid a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 40,500, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 660 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,400 others injured in the occupied territory, according to Palestinian figures.

In a landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.