TEHRAN – Israeli forces expanded their deadly assault on Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Friday, marking the fourth consecutive day of the ongoing invasion.

Armed clashes have taken place between Palestinian resistance fighters and Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in Qabatiya, a town more than ten kilometers south of Jenin city.

Residents said an explosion shook the town on Friday amid intense drone activity in the area.

Reports say the IOF surrounded a house in Qabatiya, firing Energa shells at it as troops raided nearby homes.

The IOF deployed additional reinforcements to Qabatiya, accompanied by an Apache helicopter.

The occupation forces have turned the vicinity of Jenin’s refugee camp, adjacent to the city, into a launching pad for raids against the towns of Qabatiya as well as Ya’bad, which is located 20 kilometers west of Jenin. 

According to Al Jazeera, the IOF later withdrew from Qabatiya after destroying the main roundabout in the town. 

This is while reporters on the ground say IOF bulldozers have started destroying infrastructure at the entrance to the town of al-Yamoun, northwest of Jenin.

On Friday morning, Israeli forces launched raids across various parts of the occupied West Bank, during which they arrested Palestinians amid confrontations in multiple areas.

The Israeli military has also tightened the siege on the city of Jenin and its refugee camp after destroying many homes. 

Hundreds of Palestinians have been forced to flee the flashpoint city amid the Israeli assault that has seen a hospital placed under siege and indiscriminate firing on residential homes.  

Analysts have pointed out that the Israeli army’s campaign in Jenin represents its most extensive and aggressive operation to date, underscoring that the occupation is intent on achieving its objective of dismantling Palestinian resistance in the city and obliterating the refugee camp at its heart.

Experts contend that the presence of outgoing Israeli army Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, and the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, during Thursday’s raid on the camp is a calculated move as part of the regime’s public relations campaign.

Anti-war critics suggest the ongoing developments in Jenin reflect a deliberate effort by the occupation regime to compensate for its repeated failures in the Gaza Strip, signaling a shift in strategy aimed at reasserting its control.

Whether this will be successful has been subject to a wider debate considering the failure to eliminate Hamas after more than 15 months of genocidal war in Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a tough challenge of calming cabinet members outraged by the Gaza ceasefire, many of whom see the truce as a humiliating concession to Hamas and a sign of weakness.

The Palestinian resistance fighters have been fiercely confronting Israeli occupiers in Jenin. On Friday, intense clashes erupted between the resistance forces and Israeli infantry, lasting for hours along two main streets in the heart of the city’s refugee camp.

The leader of al-Quds Brigades in the West Bank has underlined what the resistance will reveal: “At the end of the battle, we will prove that the image of victory the enemy failed to achieve in Gaza will not be achieved in the West Bank.”

He said, "Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Jenin, our heroes have continued to ambush the occupation forces and their military vehicles.”

Meanwhile, the United Nations Rights Office has expressed deep concern over the use of unlawful lethal force in Jenin, highlighting the alarming escalation of violence and its devastating impact on civilians.

The IOF invasion, which began on Tuesday, has claimed the lives of at least 12 people, including a 65-year-old man, and left dozens injured, including paramedics. In addition, scores of Palestinians have been arrested amid the ongoing indiscriminate assault.

The Israeli occupation has also choked the entire West Bank with the establishment of 898 military checkpoints alongside its demolition campaign in Jenin.