Ramallah: On Thursday, a general strike was called in Jenin, a sensitive area in the occupied West Bank, in protest of the three Palestinians who had been killed by an Israeli drone the previous day.

The attack happened in the midst of a recent spike in violence.

After carrying out a shooting attack close to the town of Jalamah, a group of militants was reportedly recognised in a vehicle, according to the Israeli military.

Also Read: Titanic subwreckage discovered on the ocean floor, but there were no survivors

Two of the men, according to a statement by the militant Islamic Jihad group, were its fighters, and the third man belonged to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of the Fatah movement.

Despite the widespread use of surveillance drones, the IDF reported that the Elbit Hermes drone attack was the first in the West Bank since 2006.

In the Jenin operation, helicopter gunships were also utilised.

According to Eyal Alima, an Israeli military expert, the main threat to the Israeli army and settlers in the West Bank is gunmen, so the military chose to use drones to eliminate the threat.

According to Alima, the Israeli security services are opposed to any significant military action in the northern West Bank because they believe the negative effects could outweigh any potential advantages.

Israel, however, is turning to assassinations because the US is preventing it from carrying out, claims Israeli political expert Yoni Ben Menachem.

On Thursday, Saudi Arabia vehemently denounced the Israeli settlers' attacks on several Palestinian villages in the West Bank.

On Wednesday, hundreds of Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian town, torching dozens of homes and cars.

The intimidation of Palestinian civilians was categorically condemned by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On the basis of international agreements and the Arab Peace Initiative, it reaffirmed its unwavering support for all global initiatives aimed at finding a fair and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian problem.

Israeli data showed on Thursday, however, that during the previous six months, the far-right Israeli government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu had authorised the construction of 13,000 units in the West Bank settlements, more than double the number of units approved in 2020.

Also Read:  Egyptian suspected people-smuggler held in the UK

On Wednesday, Netanyahu announced the addition of 1,000 new units to the Eli settlement, which is located north of Ramallah.

Work on about 7,000 settlement units in the West Bank began in the last year of former US President Donald Trump's administration. With over 10,000 approved units, it was regarded as a particularly fruitful year for settlement construction in the West Bank.

The current Israeli government has approved 13,000 units in just six months, despite Joe Biden's opposition.

The latest international warning came from UN chief Antonio Guterres on Monday, who urged Israel to cease its "disturbing decisions" regarding settlement activity in the occupied West Bank. Nevertheless, the government continues to carry out its settlement campaigns.

The Israeli government agreed to forgo legalising outposts in the West Bank for six months as part of a recent deal with the Palestinian Authority that was mediated by the US. 

The Netanyahu administration is being urged to begin a significant military operation in the northern West Bank cities by current Israeli ministers and former military leaders.

Former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman predicted on Thursday that Qassam rockets would soon be fired from Jenin towards Gush Dan and settlements in the northern West Bank.

Also Read:  EU: Ukraine is making reform progress that will open up membership negotiations

"Every sane person knows that the Palestinian groups in the northern West Bank are attempting to develop a missile capability, and it is only a matter of time before they will have dozens or perhaps hundreds of Qassam rockets available, as it began in 2008,"

The Gaza Strip must be the target of the attacks, according to Lieberman, who stated: "Those who want to eliminate the resistance in the West Bank should start from the Gaza Strip, and this means start targeting Hamas leaders."