The Israeli army launched a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, deploying reinforcements and military bulldozers in Tubas governorate as helicopters fired on unidentified targets, according to local sources.
"This is the first time in years that Apache helicopters were involved in such an operation, firing heavy machine-gun rounds toward residential areas," Tubas Gov. Ahmad al-Asaad said in a statement on Facebook.
The Israeli operation targeted the city of Tubas along with the towns of Aqaba and Tammun.
The army imposed a curfew and sealed off all entrances to the area with earthen berms and military checkpoints.
The movement of ambulances and medical teams was restricted, the governor said.
Israeli forces raided several homes in Tammun, Tubas, al-Far’a, and Tayasi and turned many of them into military posts, Asaad added.
An emergency committee was established to respond to the situation on the ground and to address humanitarian cases and essential needs, he said, confirming that the governorate is working in coordination with local institutions to provide necessary emergency services.
Schools were shut and workplaces suspended operations as part of security measures.
The Israeli army said in a statement Wednesday that its forces began operating overnight in the northern West Bank with Shin Bet and police forces, claiming that it came as part of "counterterrorism" operations in the area.
Asaad told Türkiye's Anadolu Agency (AA) that the Israeli side informed Palestinian authorities that the ongoing military operation in the governorate will continue for several days, which he called a "dangerous escalation."
The governor denied Israeli claims of the presence of "wanted individuals" inside Tubas, stressing that "the operation is political, not security-related."
Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that three brigades are taking part in the several-day operation, resembling Israeli attacks on West Bank refugee camps during the Israeli war on Gaza.
The newspaper claimed that the raid was staged following a spate of recent attacks on Israeli forces and attempts to reestablish some organizations.
The Israeli raid aims "to dismantle the organizations' infrastructure and find explosives and weapons," it said.
Palestinian resistance group Hamas condemned the raid as part of Israel’s policy aiming at "crushing any Palestinian presence and achieving full control over the West Bank."
It called on the international community to take immediate and serious action to stop the Israeli assaults and "war crimes" against the Palestinians and hold Tel Aviv accountable for its violations of international law.
The Israeli army has escalated attacks in the West Bank since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.
At least 1,082 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 11,000 injured in attacks by the army and illegal settlers in the occupied territory. More than 20,000 have also been arrested.
In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
