The Palestinian Health Ministry says an Israeli airstrike killed at least 10 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.
Israeli airstrike kills 10 Palestinians in the West Bank
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, the airstrike targeted the Tubas neighbourhood in the northern West Bank. The violence in the West Bank has escalated since the Gaza war began.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, many of them armed militants, but there are also stone-throwing teenagers or uninvolved civilians, and thousands have been arrested by Israeli forces. In addition, dozens of Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the West Bank and Israel.
The West Bank, a stretch of land about 100 kilometres (62 miles) long, was captured by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war and is seen by Palestinians as the nucleus of a future independent state, along with Gaza.
Israel has stepped up operations in the West Bank since the Gaza ceasefire took effect on January 19.
Tel Aviv intensifies provocations in southern Lebanon
Israel stepped up provocations against the Lebanese government and Hezbollah, striking the southern city of Nabatieh, intensifying air activity, deploying drones over Beirut, and detaining Lebanese citizens.
Israel has also stepped up the destruction of homes and infrastructure in villages that remain under its control. The escalation came after the Lebanese government agreed to extend the ceasefire until February 18.
Despite the rising tensions, Hezbollah, which had already rejected the truce extension, has remained silent on Israeli violations.
Military experts attribute this stance to the group’s limited capacity to engage in a new conflict, as well as the need to contain popular discontent at the prospect of a new wave of displacement and destruction.
According to retired Brigadier General Georges Nader, the recent escalation and increased Israeli provocations are a “double message” to both Hezbollah and the Lebanese army, signalling a readiness for military intervention if the ceasefire conditions are not met.
On November 26, 2024, Israel and Lebanon, mediated by the US and France, concluded a ceasefire agreement providing for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon and the withdrawal of Hezbollah forces beyond the Litani River. However, the implementation of these agreements is facing difficulties.
The deadline for Israeli withdrawal expired on January 26, 2025, but the Israeli side argued for an extension due to the Lebanese army’s unwillingness to occupy the liberated territories. As a result, Israeli troops remain in southern Lebanon, which has already led to clashes with local residents and loss of life.
