Israel launches airstrike on the Palestinian city of Jenin in the West Bank

Israel launched an airstrike on a mosque in Jenin, located in the northern West Bank, early on Sunday. The Israeli military claimed that Hamas was using the mosque as a "terrorist compound." Palestinian Authority officials reported that two individuals were killed when the Al-Ansar mosque was hit. While the Israeli military frequently conducts raids in the West Bank, it rarely resorts to air strikes there, unlike in the Hamas-controlled Gaza. Images from the scene revealed significant damage to the building. The Israeli military stated that those killed were members of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups and were in the process of planning an imminent terror attack. They maintained that the compound they were using had been operational since July and released images of alleged entrances to the compound, along with weaponry, computers, and security measures found at the site. The IDF did not disclose the type of aircraft used in the Jenin strike but Israeli media suggested that it was a fighter jet, which, if confirmed, would mark only the second time in approximately twenty years that a fighter jet had targeted a location in the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority health ministry reported that two additional Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank overnight, bringing the total number of Palestinian fatalities to 89 since October 7. Specifically, the Palestinian Authority governs certain areas in the West Bank, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas belonging to the Fatah political party. Meanwhile, the Gaza Strip is controlled by Hamas, Fatah's rival faction. On October 7, Hamas conducted lethal attacks on Israeli military posts and kibbutzes near Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 1,400 people and the capture of more than 200 hostages taken into Gaza. Israel has been conducting extensive airstrikes in Gaza in preparation for an anticipated ground offensive and has vowed to dismantle Hamas as an organization. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, an additional 55 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli airstrikes, with the total death toll since October 7 surpassing 4,300, over half of whom are women and children.