The United States believes Israel had the “right to defend its population” against Islamist militants, but is demanding the protection of civilians after an Israeli army operation that killed at least eight people in the occupied West Bank on Monday, AFP reported.

Civilians leave their homes in JeninPhoto: AA/ABACA / Abaca Press / Profimedia

“We support Israel’s security and its right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups,” a US State Department spokesman said.

“It is extremely important to take all possible precautions to avoid civilian casualties,” the spokesman added.

Washington, Israel’s main ally, has also called for renewed security cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Eight Palestinians were killed and 50 others wounded in Jenin, in the northern occupied West Bank, on Monday in a major Israeli military operation that came amid a recent wave of attacks on Israelis and violence against Palestinians by Jewish settlers.

According to official AFP data, at least 185 Palestinians, 25 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have died in violence related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the beginning of the year.

3,000 refugees left the Jenin camp

About 3,000 Palestinians have left the Jenin refugee camp following an Israeli operation in the occupied northern West Bank, a Palestinian official said, quoted by AFP.

“About 3,000 people have already left the camp,” Jenin city deputy governor Kamal Abu al-Roub told AFP, stressing that arrangements were being made to accommodate them in schools and other facilities in Jenin city.

At least eight Palestinians were killed and 50 wounded, 10 of them seriously, in an attack in Jenin, in the northern occupied West Bank, during a large-scale operation by the Israeli army that mobilized hundreds or thousands of soldiers and used drones, AFP reported. .

After launching at least 10 drone strikes on buildings, a brigade of Israeli forces — believed to be between 1,000 and 2,000 soldiers — backed by armored bulldozers and rooftop snipers entered the city and its refugee camp, meeting gunfire from Palestinians after Israel informed White. House of its plans, reports The Guardian.