Israeli Helicopters Fire Missiles in West Bank

Facts

• On Monday, authorities said at least five Palestinians, including a 15-year-old, died in an Israeli raid into the northern West Bank city of Jenin. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported another 91 were injured.¹
• The Israeli army reported a major exchange of fire erupted after its forces entered Jenin to arrest wanted "suspects," with an attack helicopter firing missiles at Palestinian fighters. An unnamed Palestinian intelligence official said it was the first time since 2002 that Israel used air assets in the West Bank in this way.²
• Israeli media reported that at least seven Israeli soldiers were injured during the raid. At least one powerful explosive device reportedly laid by Palestinian militants disabled several Israeli armored vehicles.³
• The Minister reported that Palestinian journalist Hazem Nasser was wounded by Israeli fire as he covered the raid. Al Jazeera reported that, after hours of fighting, Israeli forces sought to arrest two wanted men, one with Hamas and the other with Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).⁴
• After the fighting subsided, PIJ claimed that three of those killed were members from its branch in Jenin and the nearby town of Tubas. PIJ also claimed responsibility for the explosive device that disabled the Israeli armored vehicles.⁵
• The situation in the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel has been deteriorating, with Israel launching regular raids into the West Bank — especially in the north — following a series of Palestinian attacks last year. Since the start of the year, at least 164 Palestinians and 21 Israelis have been killed.⁶

Sources: ¹DW, ²Guardian, ³New York Times, ⁴Al Jazeera, ⁵The Times of Israel, and ⁶AL.

Narratives

• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. Israel continues to use the cruelest possible policies, such as destroying Palestinian homes, which is a war crime, and even journalists are not safe. Emboldened by international silence after Tel Aviv killed more Palestinians last year than in any other calendar year since the Second Intifada, the occupation is becoming increasingly violent.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Israel’s raids in the West Bank are meant to stop terrorist plots, and everything possible is done to mitigate harm. In this instance, Israeli forces acted professionally to apprehend terror suspects from Jenin, which is a hotbed of terrorist activity.