Overnight Operation in Balata Refugee Camp Neutralizes Explosives Lab and Warehouse
Overnight Operation in Balata Refugee Camp Neutralizes Explosives Lab and Warehouse
On Wednesday, the Israeli military (IDF) (Tsakhal) announced that it had successfully neutralized an explosives laboratory and a warehouse in the Palestinian refugee camp of Balata, located in the northern West Bank. According to the IDF spokesperson, the forces seized 15 ready-to-use explosives from the lab and warehouse, Azernews reports, citing IDF.
לוחמי צה"ל ומג"ב, בהובלת כוחות הנדסה ויהל"ם, השמידו הלילה במחנה הפליטים בלאטה שבמרחב חטיבת שומרון מעבדת נפץ שהכילה שבעה מטענים מוכנים לשימוש.
— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) August 16, 2023
בנוסף, הכוחות השמידו מחסן שהכיל שמונה מטענים מוכנים לשימוש >> pic.twitter.com/h1P6hcR0UT
The operation was led by engineering and military forces, who also neutralized a bomb that had been placed at the entrance to the refugee camp and was ready to be activated. During the operation, suspects threw stones, and explosives, and fired at the force, who responded by firing at armed men in the area.
The warehouse was reportedly the headquarters of the Fatah movement. There were no casualties to Israeli forces reported.
The operation is part of a larger effort to combat violence in the West Bank, which has seen a surge in Palestinian shooting attacks against Israeli civilians and troops, near-nightly arrest raids by the military, and an uptick in attacks by extremist Jewish settlers against Palestinians.
The IDF's operation in Balata is one of the largest in the West Bank in more than a decade, with more than 1,000 Israeli troops taking part. The IDF has launched some 20 drone airstrikes, confiscated weapons, dismantled explosives factories, and detained dozens of people.
The operation has caused extensive damage to services in the crowded district and has led to the displacement of thousands of people. The United Nations estimates that up to a quarter of the Palestinian population of the refugee camp has fled the Israeli offensive.
The Israeli military's operation in Balata is a crucial step in the effort to combat violence in the West Bank and ensure the safety of Israeli civilians.
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