By Abdelraouf Arnaout
JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel’s ongoing military operation in the northern West Bank “may continue for several days and possibly longer,” a military spokesperson told Anadolu on Thursday.
“The operation will continue as long as necessary to achieve its security goals, meaning that we might witness confrontations for several more days and possibly longer if required,” Ella Waweya said.
On Wednesday, the Israeli army launched a major military operation in the northern West Bank, the largest in two decades, killing 17 Palestinians, according to Palestinian figures.
The army said the operation aims to thwart the threat of explosive devices in the northern West Bank.
“There is a rise in activities and operations in the West Bank that bear clear signs of Iran,” Israeli security sources said.
“The explosive devices could cause massive destruction, especially those made from gas cylinders, which are prepared in a way that allows them to cause devastating explosions,” they added.
Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank amid a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 40,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7 last year.
At least 670 Palestinians have since been killed, nearly 5,400 others injured and over 10,300 arrested 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 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala