Israel bombs, invades West Bank's Jenin in bloody operation
At least seven Palestinians have been killed in the new Israeli operation, which comes after a six-week siege on the city by the PA
Israel launched a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on 21 January, coinciding with an airstrike on it and the killing of several Palestinians.
“The army, Shin Bet, and Border Police have launched an operation to thwart terrorism in Jenin,” the Israeli military said in a statement. The operation has been dubbed “Iron Wall.”
At least seven Palestinians have been killed and around 70 wounded due to the bombing and the ground incursion into Jenin and its refugee camp.
“Israeli warplanes are taking apart in the aggression on the city of Jenin and its camp, as troops stormed with a large number of military vehicles from the Jalameh military checkpoint, shortly after special forces were discovered in the Jabarat neighborhood,” WAFA news agency’s correspondent reported, adding that Apache helicopters opened fire at Jenin camp.
Israeli snipers have been deployed across neighborhoods in the camp.
The Jenin Brigade of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement’s Quds Brigades said in a statement that its fighters are “confronting the invading occupation forces on the battle fronts and showering the enemy forces with heavy volleys of bullets according to the requirements and conditions of the field.”
The Israeli army’s Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, said on 20 January that Israel must prepare for “major” operations in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) had been besieging the Jenin camp for six weeks in an operation that Ramallah said was aimed at rooting out the Jenin Brigade and establishing control over the camp.
According to a PA official cited by Times of Israel on 17 January, the PA reached a deal with the Jenin Brigade to end the siege. The deal reportedly requires specific members of the Jenin Brigade to hand over their weapons and allows the PA to operate freely in the refugee camp, the official stated.
Haaretz newspaper reported on Monday, citing a Palestinian source, that Israel asked the PA security services to withdraw from Jenin before the Israeli army entered.