Israel says expands West Bank offensive inside city of Jenin
The Israeli military said Tuesday it had expanded its offensive in the occupied West Bank currently in its 43rd day to new parts of the northern city of Jenin.
Israeli forces "expanded the counterterrorism operation in northern Samaria to additional areas in Jenin", the military said, using the Biblical name for that part of the West Bank, adding it killed two Palestinians including a local Hamas leader during the overnight raid.
Hamas mourned Tuesday the death of Aysar al-Saadi, a senior commander in its al-Qassam Brigades, who was killed in Jenin.
Israel has been waging a major military operation in the northern West Bank for over a month. Hamas accused Israel of resorting to aerial bombardments due to its military failures on the ground.
“This new crime will not stop the growing wave of Palestinian resistance,” Hamas said in a statement.
Al-Saadi, who had survived multiple assassination attempts, was targeted amid intense armed clashes between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces in Jenin, according to the militant group.
Source: Agence France Presse
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