Israel launches major assault on West Bank

ISRAEL launched a major assault on the occupied West Bank yesterday in "a counterterrorism operation" which left up to 11 Palestinians dead.

- Mark Reynolds

Five were killed in an air strike on al-Far'a refugee camp, near the city of Tubas, and six in a drone strike and armed clashes in Jenin city.

Hamas later confirmed six of its fighters were killed in Jenin.

The massive Israeli operation also targeted the cities of Tulkarm, where troops were said to have blocked off two hospitals, and Nablus, where the focus was on two refugee camps.

Yesterday's operation was the first time since the second intifada - a major Palestinian uprising from 2000 to 2005 - that several Palestinian cities were targeted simultaneously by the Israeli military.

Explosives

The onslaught in the West Bank which is larger than the other Palestinian territory, the war-torn Gaza Strip came days after Israel launched a huge assault on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.