Amid mounting confrontations in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military has attacked the Palestinian city of Jenin. At least seven Palestinians were killed in the large-scale military operation. So far it is unclear whether the dead are militant Islamist fighters or uninvolved residents of Jenin. About 48 other people were injured, several of whom are in critical condition, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.
The Israeli army claims to have attacked Jenin with several targeted airstrikes. Operation “Home and Garden” directed itself according to Israeli statements against “terrorist infrastructure”. During the night, a weapons depot, a meeting place for terrorists and a command and communication center also used as an observation post were hit. According to Palestinian reports, there were power outages across Jenin. Several destroyed roads can be seen on videos. The “Freedom Theater” in the city center, a place designed to offer young people in particular a perspective amid the violence, was also hit, the cultural institution confirmed.
The region around Jenin and the associated refugee camp with around 17,000 inhabitants have been considered a stronghold of militant Palestinians for years. The camp west of the city center is mostly populated by Palestinians who fled the villages and towns that are now in Israel during the 1948 Israeli War of Independence. Her children and grandchildren were born in the refugee camp. A possible right for these refugees to return to their homes and land is one of the major unresolved issues of the Middle East conflict.
Shortly after the air raid on Jenin, Israel’s army entered the city with about 100 military vehicles and ground troops. According to Palestinian reports, there was violent fighting with residents.
An Israeli military vehicle parked on a street in Jenin as smoke billowed from behind.
(Photo: Ayman Nobani/dpa)
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the Israeli operation and spoke of a “new war crime”. An Israeli army spokesman said the operation would last “as long as necessary”. Accordingly, the army is concentrating on the refugee camp in Jenin. “At least seven terrorists were neutralized” there during the night. It is unclear whether they were killed.
In addition to Hamas, which rules in the Gaza Strip, the militant Islamic Jihad and other loose groups in Jenin have also gained massive influence in recent years. They are mostly financed by Iran. Hamas called for the mobilization of Palestinians in the West Bank and pledged support for their fighters in Jenin. A spokesman for the militant Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad said: “As long as this aggression does not stop, the options for response will be wide and comprehensive.”
Call for a full-scale military offensive
Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant said the army would “continue to act proactively and decisively” in Jenin. Israel’s defense apparatus is prepared for any scenario. The security situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories has been tense for a long time and recently worsened again. The government has recently called for a large-scale military offensive.
Since Benjamin Netanyahu’s new, partly right-wing extremist government has been in office, it has intensified its rhetoric towards the Palestinian side and shows little interest in defusing the conflict – on the contrary. She also wants to massively expand settlement construction in the West Bank. While Palestinians repeatedly attacked settlements or Israeli soldiers, radical Israeli settlers recently repeatedly attacked Palestinian villages and set houses and shops on fire.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 143 Palestinians have been shot dead during confrontations, Israeli military operations or after attacks. Attacks by Palestinians killed more than two dozen people during the same period. Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War. The Palestinians claim the areas for their own state.