Arab League condemns Israeli operation in West Bank

The Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, strongly condemned Israel's military operation in the West Bank, which resulted in the deaths of at least eleven people so far.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Aboul Gheit said that Israel's incursions, violent attacks, and killings in northern West Bank cities, as well as the destruction of infrastructure and the siege of hospitals, are part of a troubling trend to subjugate the Palestinian people.

The Secretary-General of the Arab League accused Israel of conducting a war of extermination against Palestinians, asserting that the military operations in the West Bank are unrelated to the October 7 attacks.

He emphasised that the objective is to render life unbearable for Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip, employing ongoing violence as a means of intimidation and advancing plans for displacement and the eradication of their cause.

He added that this trend cannot be separated from the dangerous and totally unacceptable statements made by extremist ministers in the Israeli government about the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Aboul Gheit stressed the urgency for the international community to take action against escalating tensions in the region, warning that the current situation is dangerously close to a crisis that could lead to further conflict and instability.

On Tuesday evening, Israeli security forces initiated a major ground operation, with air support, in the north of the occupied West Bank. The operation is mainly targeting the Jenin refugee camp, the al-Far'a refugee camp, and the Nur Shams refugee camp, in Jenin, Tubas, and Tulkarm respectively.

Over 600 Palestinians and 15 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank since 7 October, according to the UN.