Israel launched a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, where its forces killed at least nine Palestinians and sealed off the volatile city of Jenin, according to Palestinian officials.
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00:00The Israeli military has launched a new crackdown in the occupied West Bank.
00:05Israel's been operating in the territory since last October,
00:08almost immediately after its war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip erupted.
00:14While the fighting in the West Bank has been overshadowed by the war in Gaza,
00:18these Israeli military raids have taken place almost every day.
00:23Most of them have been concentrated in the northern West Bank.
00:27Israel says this area is a stronghold of Palestinian militants,
00:30and indeed the latest operation is also taking place in the north.
00:34Israel has sealed one major town, Jenin,
00:37and residents also are talking about impeded access to a major hospital.
00:42Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in the violence since last October,
00:45and while most of them have been militants, many civilians also have died.
00:50This has been accompanied by an increase in Israeli military checkpoints,
00:54as well as widespread economic hardship.
00:58Taken together, the situation is very tense in the West Bank.
01:02On the Israeli side, Israel has reported an uptick in Palestinian attacks on Israelis as well.
01:08This violence is likely to continue as long as the war in Gaza goes ahead.
01:13While ceasefire talks have continued throughout the week,
01:16Israel is pressing ahead with its offensive in Gaza.
01:19In the latest violence, health officials in Gaza say
01:2224 Palestinians have been killed in new Israeli airstrikes.