By Obinna Uballa
Israel’s military has announced a new large-scale operation in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, expanding its months-long campaign against armed Palestinian groups in the territory.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet security service said they had “begun operating as part of a broad counterterrorism operation in the area of northern Samaria,” using Israel’s biblical name for the region.
Responding to inquiries from AFP, the IDF clarified that the mission is separate from the counterterrorism push it launched in January 2025, which has focused heavily on raids inside Palestinian refugee camps.
The West Bank has witnessed a dramatic rise in violence since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 sparked the Gaza war. Despite a fragile truce currently in place in Gaza, the unrest has continued unabated across the territory.
According to an AFP compilation of figures from the Palestinian health ministry, more than 1,000 Palestinians – including militants and civilians – have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers in the West Bank since the war began.
Israeli authorities say at least 44 Israelis, both civilians and soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during military operations in the same period.
The new operation underscores Israel’s growing focus on the West Bank, where armed groups have gained strength amid deepening political instability and the spillover effects of the Gaza conflict.
