Violence escalated in Jerusalem and the West Bank over the last week as tensions rise between Israel and Palestine.
On Thursday, Israeli military forces enforced a raid on a Palestinian refugee camp in Jenin in the West Bank, killing nine Palestinians and wounding 20. The Israeli military claimed the raid was conducted to find and capture Jihad terror operatives. Later that day, a Palestinian man was shot by Israeli forces in al-Ram, a town north of Jerusalem.
Thursday was “the deadliest Israeli army operation in the occupied West Bank since at least 2005,” according to NPR.
And then Friday marked the deadliest attack Palestinians have made on Israelis since 2008, per NPR. A Palestinian shot and killed seven people and wounded three outside of a synagogue.
“We underscore the urgent need for all parties to de-escalate, prevent further loss of civilian life, and work together to improve the security situation in the West Bank,” Ned Price, U.S. State Department spokesperson, said in a statement.
What is causing the violence between Israel and Palestine?
It’s too early to know if the synagogue attack was a counterattack after the raid. But some analysts worry it could be the start of something more drastic between the two groups.
“With a new far right government committed to continued dispossession of Palestinians and expansion of settlements, with the Palestinian body politic in shambles and no international stakeholder taking proactive steps, the crisis is likely to continue escalating,” International Crisis Group analyst Mairav Zonszein told Vox.
On Saturday, a drone struck an Iranian military facility, causing an explosion in the city of Isfahan, “a major center of missile production,” The New York Times reported.
American officials recently publicly pointed out that Iran is the “primary supplier of drones to Russia,” per the Times. The officials believe the attack was made out of concerns for Israel’s own safety, not trying to prevent the missile exports.
Iran said the attack caused minimal damage because the drones had all been shot down.