Israel's deadly raids in West Bank draw wide int'l criticism

JERUSALEM, July 4: Israel's airstrikes and ground raids in the West Bank on Monday have drawn criticism from the United Nations, the Arab League, and regional countries, as the death toll from the large-scale military operation continues to mount.

At least eight Palestinians were killed and dozens were injured in the northern West Bank city of Jenin during the Israeli operation launched from midnight throughout the day, said the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The Israeli army said the operation aimed to launch "an extensive counterterrorism effort." According to Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari, the raid was focused on the Jenin refugee camp, and was "not against the Palestinian Authority but against the terror groups in Jenin."

On Monday, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland tweeted that the current escalation in the occupied West Bank "is very dangerous" following months of mounting tensions.

The operation "once again reminds us of the extremely volatile and unpredictable situation across the occupied West Bank," he tweeted, urging that all must ensure the civilian population is protected.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Palestine Lynn Hastings expressed "alarm" in a tweet and stressed that "access to all injured must be ensured."

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Monday condemned the Israeli military raid on Jenin and called on peace advocates across the world to intervene immediately and stop the Israeli "ominous and criminal" operation.

"The ongoing brutal Israeli military operation in Jenin is categorically slammed," Aboul-Gheit tweeted, noting that raiding cities and camps under air support as well as razing houses and roads are collective punishment and revenge that will only lead to further escalation of tension.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates on Monday also expressed strong condemnation against the Israeli forces.

In a statement, it called for an immediate halt to repeated and escalating campaigns against the Palestinian people, urging Israeli authorities to reduce escalation and avoid steps that "exacerbate tension and violence in the occupied Palestinian territories and lead to a deterioration of the situation and perpetuation of the cycle of violence."

In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry condemned on Monday "in the strongest terms" the Israeli raid, voicing opposition to the repeated Israeli raids and incursions into Palestinian cities that killed civilians.

Describing the Israeli attacks as a "flagrant violation of international laws and legitimacy," the ministry warned against the serious impacts of the ongoing escalation which it said would exacerbate the Palestinians' sufferings and undermine Egyptian, regional, and international efforts to de-escalate tensions in the occupied territories.

Jordan on Monday warned of the catastrophic consequences of the Israeli raid on Jenin, calling for the international community's intervention to stop Israel's military operations.

Türkiye also strongly condemned the Israeli military operation, urging Israel to act with common sense and stop such actions.

The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants on Monday condemned the Israeli aggression, which it said: "targets the entire population without distinction between civilians and combatants or between young people, children and the elderly."

The ministry called on the international community to pressure the "aggressor" to stop assaults and protect defenseless civilians.