Netanyahu to hold security assessment meeting amid military operation in Jenin

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to hold a security assessment meeting late on Thursday after Israel's military offensive on the city of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported fears in the government that clashes could escalate and expand if the Islamic Jihad group retaliates to the attack by firing rockets from Gaza.

Islamic Jihad informed mediators that Israel was responsible for the attack and that if the Israeli offensive does not stop, "all options are possible," according to the report.

Israeli forces are preparing for a possible escalation across the West Bank following the developments in Jenin, said a separate report by the Tel Aviv-based daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

Nine Palestinians have been killed and 20 injured by the Israeli forces as they stormed the Jenin Refugees camp, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

Observers have reported that the Israeli offensive against Jenin was the largest since 2002.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar