Egypt condemns Israeli military operation in northern West Bank cities

Egypt on Wednesday condemned the Israeli military operation in the cities of the northern West Bank, which led to the killing of 10 Palestinians.

In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said it considers the Israeli assaults on Palestinian civilians in West Bank cities "a continuation of systematic violations of international law, international humanitarian law, and the four Geneva Conventions that protect the rights of people under occupation."

"Egypt sees these actions as a deliberate escalation and an expansion of confrontations inside the Palestinian territories," the statement said.

It called for "a unified and effective international stance to provide protection for the Palestinian people and to put an end to the ongoing targeting of unarmed civilians, the imposition of restrictions, and the seizure of private property."

Egypt also warned of the "severe consequences" expected from the ongoing Israeli operations.

Earlier, the Israeli army launched a major military operation in the northern West Bank, the largest in two decades.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the army operation includes the "temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents" from areas in the northern West Bank.

At least ten Palestinians have been killed since the start of the operation, according to the latest figures released by the Health Ministry.

Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank amid a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 40,500, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 660 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,400 others injured in the occupied territory, according to Palestinian figures.

In a landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.