On Saturday, a two-year-old Palestinian girl was shot and killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, where the Israeli military launched a new offensive last week.
Laila al-Khatib died after being shot in the head by IDF gunfire when she was inside a house with her pregnant mother, who was lightly wounded in the attack. Al-Khatib’s grandmother said the family was having dinner when the house came under attack.
The Israeli military acknowledged its forces were responsible for killing the girl and claimed they fired on the house after receiving intelligence that armed Palestinian resistance fighters were inside the building and stopped after realizing they killed a child.
The Israeli military launched its new assault on Jenin, dubbed “Iron Wall,” on January 21, just two days after the ceasefire in Gaza went into effect. In that time, at least 14 Palestinians have been killed, and 50 have been wounded by Israeli forces in Jenin.
Israeli military bulldozers have also been tearing up roads in Jenin and destroying other infrastructure. Jenin Governor Kamal Abu al-Rub told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency that Israeli forces demolished 20 homes and buildings in the city’s refugee camp on Sunday.
“The occupation forces are deliberately expanding the narrow streets of the camp to storm it with huge D9 military bulldozers and large machinery,” al-Rub said. “Israeli forces are demolishing or blowing up any house or facility that stands in their way, let alone destroying 100 vehicles.”
Palestinians in Jenin fear their community could be destroyed like Gaza, and Israeli officials have hinted that similar destruction is coming. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said the IDF would apply “lessons” it learned in Gaza on the West Bank.
