The Israeli Channel 12 reported on 19 September, quoting military sources, that the army is close to launching a massive and comprehensive incursion into the northern sector of the West Bank.

“Israel will take intensive measures,” the Hebrew media outlet said, noting that “security tensions are currently at their peak” in the West Bank.

Security officials said the level of hostilities reached the peak of attacks six months ago, noting that “there are attempts these days to carry out terrorist operations on an almost daily basis.”

“The only reason for not having the same number of Israeli victims as there was in the ‘terrorist’ wave in March is the successful countermeasures,” which the occupation claims to have taken.

The Israeli security community fears, according to Channel 12, that current violence could lead to more significant attacks with the support of the Hamas movement and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). 

“Both the Shin Bet and the Israeli army are collaborating to prevent the events from spreading from the northern West Bank to other cities,” the Israeli channel said.

Ahead of this announcement, gunfire broke out between the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces and armed resistance factions in the streets of Nablus after midnight, leaving a 53-year-old man dead and four others injured.

PA security forces also entered Nablus and proceeded to arrest the commander of Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades, Musab Shtayyeh, who is high on Israel’s wanted list. 

Earlier in the day, Israeli troops raided the home of the Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Omar al-Kiswani, seizing several mobile phones and computers in Al-Tur village in the occupied East Jerusalem.

Last week, two Palestinian resistance fighters opened fire at the Jalameh checkpoint in Jenin after storming it, leaving an Israeli officer dead and several others injured.