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As a result of the war in the Gaza Strip, and the high level of tension in the Middle East, the Israeli army is intensifying its military operations in the West Bank, while officers and experts show to Al-Hurra website what is behind this increase, and how much it is connected to the “anticipated Iranian response.”

“massive” military operations.

On Wednesday, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that ten Palestinians were killed, and around 15 people were wounded, in the “massive” military campaign launched by the Israeli army in the Northwest Bank.

On the other hand, the Israeli army said on Wednesday that it killed “five terrorists in an operations room” in the Nour Shams camp in Tulkarm.

The Deputy Spokesperson of the Israeli Army, Officer Ella Wawiyeh, revealed to the Al-Hurra website the reasons for the Israeli forces increasing their operations in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarm in the West Bank. Northwest.

Recently, there has been an increase in “terrorist activity,” particularly in the North West Bank, where “terrorist groups” have taken control of the camps, and attacks are being carried out in the West Bank the West and Israel, according to what Wawiyah reported.

She said: “In the recent period, terrorist activities have been emerging in these areas, and there are saboteurs there who are planting explosive devices in the streets to harm Israeli army soldiers.”

She pointed out that “the Israeli army started this evening a major campaign to fight (terrorism) in Tulkarm and Jenin, while at the same time Israeli forces are working in the Al-Far’a camp in Glen Jordan.”

During the operation, fights were held with “saboteurs”, some of whom were killed, and explosive devices placed under infrastructure were found and removed, according to a deputy spokesperson for army of Israel.

What is behind “intensive operations”?

Israeli forces often carry out operations and raids in cities in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.

Various areas in the West Bank have seen an increase in the pace of violence since the start of war between Israel and the Hamas movement – designated as a terrorist group in the United States and other countries – on October 7.

In recent weeks there has been an increase in Israeli activity in parts of the North West Bank, where groups of Palestinian armed groups are active, as Israel strengthens operations targeting members of the armed groups, including Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movement – classified as terrorists in the United States and other countries.

Israeli political analyst Eddie Cohen points out that “new cells linked to Iran are being formed in the West Bank from members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. “

Israeli intelligence reports that “Tehran is establishing new Hamas-like cells in the West Bank and providing them with money, technology, explosives and weapons,” according to what it told a website Al-Hurrah.

The Israeli political analyst talks about “security coordination between the Palestinian Authority and Israel to protect the West Bank from falling into the hands of Hamas.”

The Israeli army has scaled back its operations in the Gaza Strip, and is currently focusing on “cleansing the West Bank,” according to Cohen.

For his part, former Palestinian Minister of Prison Affairs, Ashraf Al-Ajrami, says that the West Bank has turned into a “little Gaza”.

There are armed groups in the West Bank, such as “the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nablus Brigades, and they have been doing (counter) operations against the Israeli army for some time,” as well as “many other armed groups,” according to what he told the Al-Hurra website.

Al-Ajrami talks about “the increase in the activity of armed groups in the recent period, with the support of Iranian and Palestinian groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.”

Therefore, the Israeli army is intensifying its operations in the West Bank with the aim of “eliminating the phenomenon,” but at the same time it is “punishing the civilian population and destroying the infrastructure,” according to Al-Ajrami.

Is an “Iranian response” expected?

The level of tension in the Middle East region rose, after the assassination of the prominent military leader of Hezbollah – listed on terrorist lists in the United States and other countries -, Fouad Shukr, in an Israeli attack in the southern suburb of Beirut in July 30, followed by the killing of the head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, Ismail Haniyeh, hours later in Tehran by a strike attributed to Israel.

Hamas and Iran accused Israel of “killing Haniyeh” and promised to respond to his killing, but the Israeli side did not claim or deny responsibility.

When Officer Ella was asked about the extent to which Israeli military operations in the West Bank were related to “preparing for an expected Iranian response,” she declined to comment.

For his part, Cohen says that “Iranian funding is reviving (terrorism) in the West Bank,” while refusing to link Israel’s recent military moves to the “Iranian response to the was expected.”

The Al-Hurra website contacted the spokesmen of the Fatah movement, Osama al-Qawasmi and Abdel Fattah Dawla, to comment on the announcement, but we did not receive a response until the report was published.

But Al-Ajrami confirms that “there is a qualitative improvement in Israel’s military activity, due to Iran’s efforts to promote the situation in the Northwest Bank.”

Israel discovered “attempts to smuggle weapons and money into the West Bank, and there may be (Israeli intelligence) about Iranian support for armed groups there to carry out operations inside Israel, ” according to Al-Ajrami’s estimates.

A former Palestinian Minister of Prison Affairs talks about Israel’s “overarching goal” in the West Bank, related to “increasing the area of ​​Israeli settlements, controlling the wider Palestinian territories, evacuating them, and their inhabitants sent away.”

Therefore, there is an Israeli project in the West Bank that is “much bigger” than confronting Iranian-backed armed groups and Palestinian groups fighting Israel, according to Al-Ajrami.

Since the start of the war in Gaza, at least 650 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by settlers and Israeli forces, according to a count by Agence France-Presse based on official Palestinian data.

Thousands of Palestinians were arrested in Israeli army raids in the West Bank.

On the other hand, at least 30 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza, according to official Israeli figures.