RAMALLAH, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Six Palestinians have been killed and 35 others injured in a major Israeli military operation launched Tuesday in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, according to Palestinian health officials in Ramallah.

The operation, dubbed "Iron Wall" by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), has triggered clashes with Palestinian militants and drawn condemnation from Palestinian factions.

The IDF said the operation aimed to thwart "terrorist activities" in Jenin, with Israeli media cited military sources indicating the operation could last several days.

Palestinian security sources said Israeli forces entered Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp with a large number of vehicles, coinciding with drone strikes and helicopter fire. Eyewitnesses reported heavy clashes between Israeli forces and armed Palestinian factions.

Hamas called for intensified fighting against Israel in response to the raid. The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, claimed to have repelled the Israeli advance.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation was "another step in achieving the goal we set, strengthening security" in the West Bank.

Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported that Israel had asked the Palestinian Authority security services to withdraw from Jenin prior to the operation.

Tensions in the West Bank have escalated since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, more than 800 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since then.

In August 2023, Israel conducted a large-scale military operation in the northern West Bank called "Summer Camps," which it said aimed to arrest wanted individuals and prevent attacks against Israel. Enditem

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