While the U.S. government claims it is working diligently to provide a “ceasefire” in Gaza, Israel has escalated its assault in the West Bank. An Israeli minister is calling for a “declaration of war” on Palestinians in the West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed a map in which the West Bank is part of Israel. Israel is continuing to attack Gaza, killing 42.
Drop Site News notes that Israel has launched its largest military offensive there in decades, just publishing “Israel Lays Siege to Jenin Hospitals: On-the-Ground Report From the West Bank” by Mujahed al-Saadi. It was translated and edited by Sharif Abdel Kouddous, skouddous@gmail.com, @sharifkouddous.
“For nearly a week, the Israeli military has been laying siege to hospitals in Jenin and other cities in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, severely restricting access to medical care, targeting medical workers and ambulances, and cutting off water and electricity, as part of a massive military offensive in the occupied West Bank, the largest operation in the Palestinian territory in over two decades.
“The raid in Jenin began on August 28, with Israeli special forces entering the city in civilian vehicles to reach the perimeter of the Jenin refugee camp, a stronghold of militant resistance to the occupation. Since then, Israeli troops have targeted several hospitals in Jenin by obstructing access and cutting off vital supplies. The move mirrors tactics by the Israeli military in Gaza, where every hospital has been targeted and only a fraction are partially functioning, leaving the health care system in ruins.
“Over the past week, armored Israeli bulldozers have torn through Jenin, ripping up roads, tearing down shops and markets, and destroying critical infrastructure. According to the Jenin municipality, more than 70 percent of Jenin’s streets have been bulldozed; 20 kilometers of water and sewage networks, communication and electric cables have been destroyed; and water has been cut off from 80 percent of the city, including the entire refugee camp where a curfew has been imposed, preventing most residents from entering or leaving.”