Israeli military raid on Jenin leaves Palestinians ‘bleeding out in the streets'

It’s the Israeli military’s biggest operation in the occupied West Bank since the start of the new year. Israeli forces say they are targeting what they call “terrorism” in the Jenin refugee camp.

Dozens of Palestinians have been injured, including children. Others on the receiving end of Israel fire were bleeding out in the streets of Jenin as Israeli forces blocked ambulances from reaching them.

The raid comes after a standoff between fighters in the Jenin camp and the Palestinian Authority, after more than a month of siege.  Elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces arrested 64 Palestinians. This time, in Qalqilya.

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank face constant threats living under Israeli occupation. Army raids coupled with violent settler attacks have significantly increased since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza. Now with President Trump back in the White House, Palestinians fear the situation will only get worse.

Israeli forces storm West Bank’s Aida refugee camp; reinforcements deploy in Jenin

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic report that Israel’s military has launched an early morning raid on the Aida refugee camp located north of Bethlehem and raids are also reported in Tulkarem city in the north of the occupied West Bank.

Local Palestinian media also report that Israeli forces came under fire while storming the al-Ein refugee camp, located west of Nablus, earlier this morning.

Israeli military reinforcements are also reported to have deployed at checkpoints and roads near the Jenin refugee camp, where at least 10 people were killed by Israeli forces on Tuesday as well as dozens injured.

_{The view from the Aida refugee camp of an Israeli military watch tower and Israel’s separation wall between the Palestinian town of Bethlehem and Israeli areas, as seen in 2013}

Masked Israeli settlers brought ‘incendiary materials’ to raid on Palestinian villages

_{A young Palestinian searches through the burnout remains of a building on Tuesday, a day after masked men raided the Palestinian village of Jinsafut in the occupied West Bank}

The dozens of masked Israeli men that raided the Palestinian villages of Jinsafut and Funduq near Jerusalem on Monday night, injuring at least 12 people, came prepared to set fire to cars and buildings, a local official said.

Jalal Bashir, the head of Jinsafut’s village council, said that the men attacked three houses, a nursery and a carpentry shop located on the village’s main road. “The settlers were masked and had incendiary materials,” Bashir told the Associated Press news agency. “Their numbers were large and unprecedented.”

Louay Tayem, head of the local council in Funduq, said the dozens of settlers who raided the town fired shots, threw stones, burned cars, and attacked homes and shops.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said it treated 12 local people who were beaten by the settlers.

_{A man stands near a bulldozer that was burnt in the attack}

Israel’s violence in Jenin a ‘deflection’ after Israeli commanders resign over Oct 7 failure

Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara said he had predicted that the occupied West Bank would face a military onslaught following Israel’s war on Gaza. “After they destroy Gaza, they want to destroy the West Bank or annex most of it,” Bishara said, adding, “and certainly humiliate, scare and kill as many people as possible”.

He said that the Israeli military operation in Jenin could be the start of such a plan.

Bishara said that attacking Palestinians in the West Bank also served to deflect public attention in Israel after the resignations of Israeli military commanders for their admitted failure to protect Israel from the Hamas attack in October 2023.

“I think the Netanyahu government is deflecting. Where does it deflect? In the West Bank. In Jenin. By various closures and by a huge attack on Jenin that probably will go on for days, weeks – perhaps more.”

The West Bank violence also appeases the ultra-nationalists in Netanyahu’s government who were against the ceasefire in Gaza, he added.

“It is almost understood in Israel that the year 2025 – meaning this year – after the destruction of Gaza – will be the year of annexations in the West Bank. Illegal annexations in the West Bank that will torpedo the possibility of a two-state solution.”

UN expert warns Israel’s genocide could spread to West Bank

The UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, has warned of the potential consequences of Israel’s escalating violence in the occupied West Bank going unchecked.

“As the long awaited ceasefire in Gaza took place, Israel’s death machinery escalated its firing in the West Bank, killing 10 people in Jenin [on Tuesday],” Albanese said in a post on X.

“If it is not forced to stop, Israel’s genocide of Palestinians will not be confined to Gaza. Mark my words,” she said.

As the long awaited ceasefire in Gaza took place, Israel's death machinery escalated its firing in the West Bank, killing 10 people in Jenin today. If it is not forced to stop, Israel's genocide of Palestinians will not be confined to Gaza. Mark my words. https://t.co/M4QcmCcPdL

— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) January 21, 2025

Jenin operation to change Israeli army’s security doctrine in West Bank: Katz

Defence Minister Israel Katz says the ongoing Iron Wall military operation in Jenin will mark a shift in the Israeli army’s security doctrine in the occupied West Bank, according to media reports.

Israel’s Channel 12 broadcaster quoted him as saying his government would not allow the lives of Israeli settlers to be threatened in the Palestinian territory.

Israeli forces arrest dozens of Palestinians in occupied West Bank: Report

Dozens of people have been arrested by Israel in the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency:

Israeli forces issue demolition notices against seven Palestinian homes in Hebron: Report

Israeli forces have issued notices of upcoming demolitions for seven Palestinian homes in the town of Idhna, west of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, according to the Wafa news agency.

According to local sources cited by Wafa, one of the homes belongs to relatives of a detainee, and the occupants were only given seven days to evacuate the house.

Israeli forces also stormed the village of Ras al-Joura north of Hebron, and raided several shops, Wafa reported.

Israeli military continues to burn down homes in south Lebanon

Lebanon’s National News Agency reports that the Israeli military is burning down and destroying homes in the village of Taybeh on the eastern sector of the border. Local media outlets also reported a massive explosion in neighbouring Kfar Kila that was heard across the entire region.

The Israeli military has been carrying out daily attacks in south Lebanon in violation of the November 27 ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. The deal stipulates that Israeli forces must withdraw completely from Lebanon by Sunday.

Hamas commander appears in Gaza after Israel claimed to have killed him: Reports

Quds News Network and other Palestinian outlets have shared footage of a man they identified as Hamas’s Beit Hanoon Commander Hussein Fayad talking to reporters in northern Gaza.

The Israeli military had said it killed Fayad in a tunnel in Jabalia in May.

In the video, published today, Fayad argues that Israel was defeated in the war. “Gaza emerged unbreakable, and we all saw how Gaza was – victorious, honourable with its head held high,” he said.

Throughout the war, the Israeli military announced it had assassinated several Hamas officials who turned out to be alive or were killed in later attacks.

Hamas disputes Israel’s claim of killing the Palestinian group’s top military official, Mohammed Deif, in July.

Israeli military admits Hamas commander not killed as previously claimed

We reported earlier that Palestinian outlets are sharing footage showing Hamas’s Beit Hanoon commander Hussein Fayad talking to reporters in northern Gaza, months after Israel claimed to have assassinated him.

Now, the Israeli military appears to have confirmed that Fayad is still alive.

The Times of Israel quoted the army as saying in a statement that the intelligence findings that Fayad was killed in May “were not accurate enough”.


Israeli army surrounds Rafah crossing with fortifications

New satellite imagery shows the Israeli military has built fortifications, sand berms, and paved a new road surrounding the Rafah land crossing from the Palestinian side in southern Gaza.

The photos also reveal a number of military vehicles are still inside the Rafah crossing along with engineering equipment.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said soldiers have cordoned off the crossing and will monitor its operation, including supervising and pre-approving any convoys delivering desperately needed humanitarian relief.

The Rafah crossing is scheduled to reopen on Saturday during the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, following its closure by the Israeli military in early May 2024.

‘Hardest situation I’ve ever faced’: Palestinian woman freed from Israeli detention

Bushra al-Tawil, one of 90 Palestinians released in the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, has told the Anadolu news agency that she was mistreated while in Israeli custody.

Tawil said she was at a friend’s house when Israeli forces detained her in a raid.

“They wrecked the house and destroyed her belongings. They didn’t let me wear my headscarf. I was forcibly taken out of the house and held in detention for 14 hours without my scarf. It was the hardest situation I’ve ever faced in my life,” she said.

She said that an Israeli intelligence officer taunted her, saying, “You’ll spend years trying to repair this house, and you’ll owe your friend for the rest of your life.”

She said she replied, “I told him about the solidarity among Palestinians. I said, ‘We are in a state of war, everyone pays a price in their own way. No one owes anyone anything in our community. My friend will never ask anything from me,’”.

Tawil said she was unjustly detained nearly 10 months ago and held under administrative detention, which allows Israeli authorities to imprison Palestinians without charge.

More Israeli explosions reported in south Lebanon

Lebanon’s National News Agency reports that the Israeli attacks caused two large explosions on the outskirts of the border town of Meiss el-Jabal. Earlier, the agency reported that the Israeli army burned down homes in neighbouring Taybeh.

Lebanese army says it deployed in border village after Israeli withdrawal

The Lebanese army says its troops have completed their deployment in Kfarchouba, which sits on Lebanon’s border with the occupied Golan Heights, after the Israeli military withdrew from the village.

The November ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah affirmed UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the war in 2006, and stipulated that the Lebanese army must deploy and be the only armed force at the border with Israel.

Today, the Lebanese army urged residents to stay away from areas where the Israeli army recently withdrew until its forces secure the roads and clear unexploded bombs.

Earlier, the Israeli army carried out several attacks in villages southwest of Kfarchouba, where it has not withdrawn. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli troops blew up at least three homes in the Christian-majority village of Deir Mimas.

Israel seeking Trump approval to keep soldiers in Lebanon: Report

Israel’s Channel 13 reports that the Israeli cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss keeping parts of south Lebanon under occupation. The report also said that the Netanyahu government is seeking a green light from Trump to maintain five military outposts in the country.

According to the ceasefire agreement reached between Hezbollah and Israel in November, all Israeli forces must withdraw from Lebanon by Sunday.

Hezbollah has only launched one “warning” military operation against an Israeli base since the ceasefire came into effect despite the daily Israeli attacks in Lebanon in violation of the agreement.

The group’s leaders have said that they are giving the Lebanese government a chance to resolve the Israeli breaches through diplomatic channels.

However, earlier today, Hezbollah political bureau member Ghaleb Abu Zeinab warned that “Monday will be a different day” if Israeli soldiers do not pull out of the country.


Marco Rubio speaks with Netanyahu, pledges ‘steadfast support’ for Israel

Newly sworn-in US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call for Netanyahu to stress that maintaining “steadfast support” for Israel is a top priority for Trump, the State Department says.

“The secretary congratulated the prime minister on Israel’s successes against Hamas and Hezbollah and pledged  to work tirelessly to help free all remaining hostages held in Gaza,” the State Department said.

“The secretary also conveyed that he looks forward to addressing the threats  posed by Iran and pursuing opportunities for peace.”

Main events from January 21st

Google rushed to sell Israeli military new AI tools after October 7: Report

The Washington Post is reporting that Google rushed to provide its latest artificial intelligence tools to the Israeli military after the Hamas-led attacks, despite protests from staff concerned that Israel was using the technology in mass killings of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Citing internal documents, the Post says Google worked directly with Israel’s Ministry of Defence and the Israeli army while publicly distancing itself from the country’s national security apparatus amid the staff protests.

The documents indicate that the Israeli Defence Ministry, in the weeks after October 7, urgently wanted to expand its use of a Google service called Vertex, which clients can use to apply AI algorithms to their own data, the Post reported.

But the documents do not indicate how the ministry planned to use the technology or how it might have contributed to military operations, it said.

And in November of last year, the documents show that a Google employee requested access to the company’s Gemini AI technology for the Israeli military, which wanted to develop its own AI assistant to process documents and audio, it said.

The report comes as human rights groups and tech experts express alarm at Israel’s use of AI tools, including a system known as Lavender, to generate lengthy lists of Palestinians as potential bombing targets.

Together with Amazon, Google entered into a $1.2bn contract with the Israeli government to provide cloud storage, AI and other technology, known as Project Nimbus, in 2021.

Google fired about 50 employees last year, after they protested the contracts, according to the No Tech For Apartheid group.

According to The Washington Post, Google’s rush to provide new AI tools to Israel was in part to compete with Amazon.

The Washington Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, who also owns Amazon.

_{Google fired about 50 employees in 2024 over protests against Project Nimbus}

Swiss prosecutors examine ‘criminal complaints’ against visiting Israeli president

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland said it is looking into “several criminal complaints” against Isaac Herzog, who is attending the World Economic Forum at the Swiss resort of Davos this week, according to the AFP news agency.

The office told AFP the complaints were “being examined in accordance with the usual procedure” and that it was in contact with the country’s foreign ministry “to examine the question of the immunity of the person concerned”.

The office didn’t provide any details on the specific complaints filed but the Swiss Keystone-ATS news agency reported that one of the complaints came from an NGO called Legal Action Against Genocide “for incitement to genocide and crimes against humanity”.

The complaint claimed Herzog had played “an active role in the ideological justification of genocide and war crimes in Gaza, by erasing all distinction between the civilian population and combatants”.

AFP reported that Herzog spoke at Davos on Tuesday and held meetings on Wednesday morning but it was unclear if he was still in Switzerland.

The agency, citing Keystone-ATS, said complaints were also filed against the Israeli president when he attended the Davos meeting a year ago but said the Swiss Attorney General refrained from opening an investigation that time.

UN says West Bank is part of Palestinian territory

Al Jazeera asked Farhan Haq, the UN spokesman for the secretary-general, for a response to the comments made by the nominee for the US ambassador to the UN about the occupied West Bank.

Elise Stefanik on Tuesday had told US senators that she agreed that Israel had a “biblical right” to the occupied West Bank.

Here’s what Haq said:

“Our response is that the West Bank is part of the occupied Palestinian territories, and of course, as such, the future of that of the West Bank, Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories as a whole needs to be dealt with through negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian authorities.”

‘The battlefield is about to shift’: West Bank braces for rising violence

When the Gaza ceasefire was announced on January 15, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank were overjoyed that Israel’s devastating war on the besieged enclave would finally end.

However, Israeli state violence has quickly escalated across the West Bank in what local monitors and analysts describe as an apparent attempt to formally annex more land.

The sudden uptick in settler attacks and Israeli military operations has frightened Palestinians in the occupied territory, who believe they could now face the same kind of violence meted out to their countrymen and women in Gaza.

“We watched a genocide unfold in Gaza for 14 months and nobody in the world did anything to stop it, and some people here think we’ll suffer a similar fate,” said Shady Abdullah, a journalist and human rights activist from Tulkarem.

“We all know we fear that the situation could get much worse here in the West Bank,” he told Al Jazeera