Jerusalem, Jan 22 (IANS): Israel continued its military operation in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin for a second day, killing at least 10 people, the military said on Wednesday, as Palestinian sources reported that Israeli troops also injured dozens.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that since the operation began on Tuesday, Israeli forces have killed "over 10" people, all of whom were claimed to be militants.
"Additionally, aerial strikes on terror infrastructure sites were conducted, and numerous explosives planted on routes by the terrorists were dismantled," read the statement.
The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the troops killed at least nine people and injured 40 others.
Israeli forces destroyed infrastructure and bulldozed roads in Jenin's Al-Hadaf neighbourhood, while drones bombed an empty vehicle in the Jenin refugee camp and Apache helicopters fired into the skies above the camp, Xinhua news agency cited Wafa as reporting.
Also on Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the operation represents a shift in the IDF's "security strategy" in the West Bank.
In a statement released by his office, Katz suggested that the operation would be large-scale and decisive. "An intense operation to eliminate terrorists and terror infrastructure in the (Jenin) camp -- without the return of terrorism to the camp after the operation ends -- is a key lesson from the method of repeated raids in Gaza," he said.
Katz noted that he had visited the IDF command centre on Tuesday "to closely observe the progress of the operation and reaffirm the policy."
The operation, launched Tuesday by the IDF, Shin Bet security agency, and Border Police, is dubbed 'Iron Wall'.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the raid aimed to "eradicate terrorism" in Jenin and claimed Iran was behind anti-Israeli militant activity in the city.
Jenin, located in the northern West Bank, is a territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel has kept its control over the land despite international criticism.
The operation comes as Israel halted its fighting in Gaza on Sunday, as the truce agreement took effect. Still, the violence escalated in the West Bank with the raid in Jenin and a series of settler attacks on Palestinian villages.