| Welcome to the second edition of The World Weekly, where we will be deconstructing the biggest news stories and placing the seemingly local developments in global context. This week we look at a Thursday military raid by Israel that has heightened tensions with Palestine ahead of a planned visit by the US Secretary of State. Conflict zone The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) on Thursday conducted a raid in Jenin, north West Bank, killing at least nine Palestinians, including a 61-year-old woman among two civilians. At least 20 civilians were wounded and four people are in critical condition, according to Palestine. Another Palestinian was killed in a separate incident in West Bank, near Ramallah. It marked the deadliest day for the Palestinian territory in over a year, a troubling escalation even as tensions have already reached a new high. The operation in Jenin, was conducted after intelligence suggested a "terrorist" cell in the camp, linked to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, was planning an imminent attack against Israelis, the IDF said. In a statement on Twitter, it said its forces killed three suspects, after they opened fire, and arrested a fourth. It said claims of further casualties were being "looked into". Palestinian authorities accused the IDF of obstructing medical care, including "shooting at ambulances and medical personnel" and firing tear gas towards the Jenin Government Hospital, reports say.  Since then, the situation has slowly been escalating. Israel on Friday conducted multiple strikes against militant groups in the Palestinian territories after rockets were fired towards southern Israel. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement in Gaza claimed responsibility on Friday for the rockets fired on Israel overnight, but no injuries were reported on either side. Both the Islamic Jihad and Hamas on Thursday warned a response to Israel's raid. Meanwhile, the Palestinian government* said it is suspending security coordination with Israel, an action which has raised concerns, ahead of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit. A right wing government The development comes nearly a month after Israel's most right wing government in history, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was sworn in. Netanyahu partnered with far-right and ultra-nationalist parties to end the country's political crisis, which has led to five elections in less than four years. The new government has expressed a desire to expand illegal settlements into the occupied West Bank territory, drawing international concern. Additionally, Israel's raid on Thursday was part of Operation Break Water. Launched last year by the previous Israeli government in response to what it said was increased terrorist activities from Palestinian territory, the operation has resulted in 2022 becoming the deadliest year for Palestinians since 2005. At least 26 Israelis and 200 Palestinians were killed across Israel and the Palestinian territories last year, the majority in the West Bank, according to an AFP tally. Jenin is also the same city where Israeli forces, reports say, shot well-known Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who was covering an IDF military raid, resulting in a global outcry. Several Arab nations have condemned Thursday's raid, with Egypt and Jordan warning that its repercussions could reverberate in the region. The United Arab Emirates, France and China have called for an "urgent" UN Security Council meeting to discuss the incident. The Israel-Palestine conflict has come under renewed focus as Blinken heads to the region. He will hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Sunday before going to Jerusalem and Ramallah on Monday and Tuesday to see Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, according to the state department. The US has been in contact with authorities on both sides and urged a de-escalation of the situation. Blinken is likely to raise the issue of growing violence and the direction of the new government with Netanyahu, as per AP. Despite these latest developments, the reaction on the ground has remained relatively muted. International pressure to de-escalate will be key to moving in the right direction, whatever comes next. *It is important to note that currently, the State of Palestine is recognised by only 138 of the 193 United Nations members. This includes India, but not the United States, which recognises the Palestinian Authority as a legitimate representation for Palestinians. That's all for this week, folx. If you have any suggestions, feedback, or questions, please write to me at sanya.mathur@hindustantimes.com | 
