At least ten Palestinians were killed and 16 wounded – three seriously – during a new military raid by the Israeli army in Jenin yesterday morning in one of the bloodiest armed incidents in the West Bank in recent years. According to the spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), a special forces command entered the refugee camp in the Palestinian city early in the morning to arrest members of an armed cell. Upon reaching the house where they were hiding, a group of militiamen fired intensely at the troops, who responded by opening fire, including fire from snipers deployed on the spot.
Although no injuries were reported among the Israeli troops, the operation to leave Jenin was more complicated than expected by the intensity of the combat, which lasted for about three hours. The Palestinian medical services were not allowed to rescue the wounded, and the Ministry of Health warned that "the situation in the refugee camp was very difficult."
The IDF reinforced the Iron Dome anti-missile batteries in the face of a possible military escalation in the Gaza Strip. "All options are open," warned Islamic Jihad, which blamed Israel for the escalation and met urgently with the other armed factions. The military action was precipitated after receiving accurate intelligence on the whereabouts of the suspects.
“Islamic Jihad operatives were involved in planning and executing several terror attacks, including shootings at Israeli soldiers and civilians. During the operation, the troops detonated two bombs planted by the suspects and gunmen opened fire," the IDF spokesman said.
Among the Palestinian victims is an elderly woman, and witnesses described the situation as a battlefield. “Concerned mothers walk the streets, trying to gather information about the whereabouts of their children. Children watch the fighting behind the curtains. The echoes of the explosions reverberate and the drones fly over our heads,” reported Palestinian journalist Sakir Jader. Many families were trapped in their homes, terrified by the incessant fire from snipers.
According to witnesses, the troops entered the camp hidden inside a truck and destroyed a building and several vehicles with a bulldozer. During the exchange of fire, Israeli forces fired tear gas in the vicinity of the Jenin hospital, causing the evacuation of the pediatric ward, where several children suffered hot flashes. Videos posted on social networks showed women carrying children through the corridors of the center.
From the Palestinian Foreign Ministry they warned that "if the international community and Washington do not intervene immediately to stop the Israeli deadly machine, when will they?" For Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the morning operation was "a massacre ordered by the Israeli occupation government."
Wissam Baker, director of the Jenin public hospital, described what happened as “an unprecedented invasion. An ambulance tried to approach a wounded man, but was fired upon directly by Israeli forces." Among the ten victims yesterday in Jenin, there was also a member of the armed wing of Fatah, as well as a member of the Palestinian security forces, which routinely collaborate with Israel to capture members of armed factions.
Since the end of 2022, Jenin has become the violent epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with frequent Israeli military operations that seek to decimate the operations of armed militias. So far this year, the IDF has killed 29 people – including five children – during raids in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Palestinian analysts warned that the Jenin operation could be the start of a full-scale Israeli campaign.
Anticipating a deterioration in the situation, Israeli Prime Minister Beniamin Netanyahu called an emergency meeting of the security cabinet. Saleh al Aruri, number two in the political arm of Hamas, assured that "the occupation will pay a dear price for the massacre, and the response of the resistance forces will not be long in coming."
According to the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem, May 14, 2021 was the deadliest day in the West Bank since 2002. On that day, thirteen Palestinians were killed in various clashes with Israeli troops.
