On the morning of August 28, Israel launched a special military operation in the north of West Bank, a territory that is part of Palestine’s National Autonomous Territories. Two mechanized brigades are involved in the mission, reinforced by army aviation helicopters, engineering units, and unmanned aerial vehicles, the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth daily claims.

Border police units and the Shin Bet Internal Security Service are involved either. Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the operation "provides for a temporary resettlement of the Palestinian population from a number of West Bank’s northern areas.”

Also, the military have entered the Palestinian cities of Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas to carry out an all-out sweep of residential buildings and premises, according to Israeli radio KAN. In Jenin, the Israelis raided a refugee camp and blocked two hospitals. The Ministry of Health reported 11 Palestinian deaths by the evening of August 28.

The military operation is "aimed at combating terrorism, searching for and seizing improvised explosive devices,” the army command said in a statement.

The Israeli news outlet Israel Hayom reports that the ongoing sweep of the northern areas of Palestine’s National Autonomous Territories will be the largest in history after a similar one carried out in 2002. The Israelis do not plan to use combat aircraft, but the presence of a large number of special bulldozers in the engineering units indicates their intent to demolish Palestinian residential and administrative buildings.

The Israeli military-political leadership has not been concerned about the death toll in their West Bank operation. Preliminary estimates by the Gaza Health Ministry and the local UN mission suggest that the Israeli army killed some 40,500 Palestinians in the enclave, mostly women and children.