Ground forces in Jenin: Israel launches large-scale military offensive in West Bank

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At least eight Palestinians were killed, including a 16-year-old. Dozens more were injured, some seriously, according to Palestinian sources. Fierce firefights broke out in the city for hours. At least one of the dead is said to be a Palestinian militant. The fighting continued into the afternoon.

Recently, signs of a major offensive had increased. In Israel, there had been increasing calls for tougher action in Jenin for weeks. Treasury Secretary Bezalel Smotrich said it was “time to launch a wide-ranging operation to eliminate terrorist nests” in the northern West Bank instead of using tweezers. Similar demands came from far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Military spokesman Richard Hecht said on Monday that the goal of Operation “Home and Garden” was to destroy “terrorist infrastructure”. The army does not want to occupy the city, which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority (PA). However, Jenin should no longer be “a safe haven for terrorists”. Since last September, 19 Palestinians have fled to Jenin, less than 50 miles from Jerusalem as the crow flies, after attacks on Israelis. More than 1,000 military personnel are reportedly involved in the operation.

Jenin core of militant Palestinians

The densely populated city of Jenin and the associated refugee camp with about 17,000 inhabitants has been a stronghold of militant Palestinians for years. In addition to Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, the militant Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad and other groups have also gained enormous influence there in recent years. They are largely financed by Iran.

The last time there was a similar operation was more than 20 years ago during the second Palestinian uprising (2000-2005). In 2002, Israeli soldiers and militant Palestinians fought for days in the narrow streets of the camp. More than 50 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers were killed.

Militant groups threaten a possible escalation

Hamas in the morning called for the mobilization of Palestinians in the West Bank and pledged support for their fighters in Jenin. An Islamic Jihad spokesman said: “As long as this aggression does not stop, the options for responding will be broad and comprehensive.”

The spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spoke of a “new war crime” and called on the international community to “break its shameful silence and take serious action”.

Expert: “We’re just buying time for ourselves”

According to Jochanan Zoref of the Institute for National Security Studies, the fighting could spread to other fronts. “Hamas and other militant groups in the Gaza Strip and neighboring Lebanon were taken by surprise by the attack,” he said. They are now considering whether to participate from their area. This also depends on the number of victims and the strength of the resistance in the West Bank.

However, Zoref does not see the deployment as a lasting solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This is only possible if Israel re-enters a political dialogue with the PA. The military cannot solve it alone. “We’re just buying time for ourselves.” Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have been dead since 2014.

The security situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories has long been tense and has recently deteriorated again after two Palestinians killed four Israeli settlers. More than two dozen people have been killed in attacks by Palestinians since the beginning of the year. During the same period, more than 140 Palestinians were shot or killed in airstrikes during confrontations, Israeli military operations or after their own attacks.

Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinians claim the areas for their own state. (SDA)

Source: Blick