'Hundreds trapped' in West Bank hospital as Israeli troops clear roadside bombs in Jenin
22 January 2025, 16:50 | Updated: 22 January 2025, 17:53
Hundreds of people are trapped inside a West Bank hospital surrounded by Israeli forces, according to Palestinian health officials.
Israel said its troops were trying to detonate explosives planted by militants under the road outside and it had warned patients and doctors to stay put.
A nurse at the Jenin government hospital said patients were "terrified".
Dozens of bulldozers are in Jenin and Palestinian officials said at least nine people were killed in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday - with Israeli drones and aircraft seen flying low over the area again today.
Israel said it had "hit" 10 militants and spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said the main goal in Jenin was to clear roadside bombs targeting its soldiers.
Israeli forces have regularly clashed with Palestinian militants in Jenin in recent years, even before the war in Gaza.
A ceasefire in Gaza started at the weekend with the first few Israeli hostages - taken during the 7 October Hamas terror attack - released as part of the deal.
If the truce holds, more will be released and swapped for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in the weeks ahead.
With Donald Trump now back in the White House, his envoy Steve Witkoff said he would be part of an "inspection team" to ensure the ceasefire was being kept.
"I'm actually going to be going over to Israel. I'm going to be part of an inspection team at the Netzarim corridor, and also at the Philadelphi corridor," Mr Witkoff told Fox News.
Netzarim is a strip that prevents Palestinians' free movement between north and south Gaza. Philadelphia is a narrow border strip between Gaza and Egypt.
"That's where you have outside overseers, sort of making sure that people are safe and people who are entering are not armed and no one has bad motivations," Mr Witkoff told Fox.
He did not say who else would be on the inspection team.
Read more from Sky News:
14-year-old arrested after fatal stabbing
Trump tries to negotiate TikTok sale
Elsewhere in the region, Yemen's Houthi rebels said they had released the crew of a ship held hostage since November 2023.
The Galaxy Leader was seized at the start of the group's Red Sea campaign against vessels it believes are helping Israel.
More than 100 merchant ships have been targeted with drones and missiles since October 2023, causing a dramatic drop-off in traffic in the area.
The Houthis used a helicopter during the raid on the Galaxy Leader - and even shot a music video on board as part of propaganda
The Bahamas-flagged ship is affiliated with one of Israel's richest men, billionaire Abraham "Rami" Ungar.
The Houthis signalled they would now limit their attacks to Israel-affiliated ships due to the ceasefire, but warned they could expand again in future.
(c) Sky News 2025: 'Hundreds trapped' in West Bank hospital as Israeli troops clear roadside bombs in Jenin
