While the Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange programme between the Israeli occupation forces and Palestinian resistance Hamas continue, flames of a new conflict have been spotted in the West Bank. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched its operation “Iron Wall” in the refugee camps of Jenin on Tuesday, January 21st. The Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the West Bank under agreements with Israel, has been accused of collaborating with IDF in operations against Palestinian resistance groups in Jenin Camp. The IDF and PA have launched joint attacks on the Jenin Camp that threaten the hostage exchange programme and raise questions on the future of the Gaza ceasefire.
According to the details shared by the Palestinian resistance forces and the Quds News Network, around 15 Palestinians were killed and over 40 have been injured in the IDF and PA joint attacks on Jenin until Saturday, January 25th. These attacks have been condemned by other resistance organisations as well.
However, the PA has justified its raids, which concluded before the IDF’s “Iron Wall”, as measures to control the law and order situation. It has accused the resistance forces of stirring trouble in the areas it administers.
IDF and PA joint attacks
For four days, the IDF and PA joint attacks on Jenin Camp have continued unabated. Power has been reportedly cut off in Jenin Camp and large areas surrounding it, according to the resistance. Damages to the infrastructure facilities have been reported from the area as well.
Israeli forces imposed a curfew on Jenin Camp in the West Bank following clashes with Palestinian resistance fighters.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has claimed that the Jenin Camp aggression is a shift in Tel Aviv’s approach towards the West Bank and the “first lesson from the method of repeated raids in Gaza”.
“Hundreds of families were forced to flee and leave their homes under the threat of weapons. A single corridor was opened, forcing residents during their displacement to pass through cameras scanning facial and eye biometrics. The occupation imposed a tight siege on the camp, closed its entrances, and carried out demolitions of several homes and bulldozing operations,” the resistance claimed in a statement.
According to the resistance sources, Israeli forces have been threatening camp residents with quadcopters and they fire at anyone who moves inside.
“Since this morning, the occupation has blown up, demolished, and burned more than 10 homes in Jenin Camp and its surroundings,” the resistance said on Saturday, January 25th.
Palestinian resistance forces have also alleged that PA forces shot dead a fighter named Mohammed Shadi Al-Sabbagh. On the other hand, IDF continues with its airstrikes, which recently killed two Palestinian fighters—Mohammed Amer Zakarneh and Mohammed Ragheb Kamil—in the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin. Airstrikes have been reported in Maithaloun as well, where the IDF prevented the medical team from reaching the victims.
Resistances accuses PA of treachery
The resistance organisations have accused the PA of betraying a truce and working at the behest of the IDF. According to the resistance, an agreement between resistance fighters and the PA allowed PA security forces to enter the camp for a limited time, as the resistance fighters decided to withdraw and disperse to various areas of Jenin.
“This decision was made to avoid potential betrayal by the PA, prevent their pursuit inside the camp, and to avoid bloodshed and deadly clashes should the PA attempt to arrest any of the fighters,” resistance forces say in a statement.
“PA security leadership misled its personnel by claiming the agreement had been made with the resistance fighters. This move aimed to prevent PA members from leaking information to the resistance. However, with the launch of the ‘israeli’ military operation, directives were issued for PA forces to monitor Jenin’s villages and towns, including medical centers, village outskirts, abandoned homes, mosques, and the residences of former prisoners (sic),” the statement added.
“PA security forces intensified their operations in the rural areas of Jenin, arresting several resistance fighters. Simultaneously, the ‘israeli’ military pursued resistance fighters within the camp, signaling a coordinated military operation involving ‘israel’s’ security, intelligence, and military apparatuses alongside PA security forces. The shared goal is to dismantle the resistance in Jenin,” the resistance alleged.
They claim that while the IDF “openly declares it is targeting resistance fighters, the PA labels them as ‘outlaws’, ‘fugitives’, and ‘Iranian mercenaries’.”
PA persecutes fighters, journalists
The resistance has accused the PA of abducting and persecuting fighters and journalists from Jenin.
Palestinian fighters, Mohammed Al-Hosary, Suhaib Al-Hasan, Samer Murad, Jihad Taleb, Qais Jabarin, Obada Rawajbeh, and Majd Al-Hosary have been abducted by the PA forces, the resistance alleged. The resistance claimed that through such acts, the PA was “thus aiding the occupation in their ongoing invasion to suppress the resistance in the West Bank”.
At the same time, the IDF and PA have been accused of persecuting journalists in the West Bank for reporting about the Jenin Camp aggression.
During the IDF and PA joint attacks on Jenin Camp, the PA forces have reportedly abducted journalist Mohammed Al-Atrash, with the support of the IDF, from his home in Al Khalil, for reporting the aggression. Journalist Jarah Khalaf remains in PA custody and is reportedly tortured for his work.
Resistance attacks occupation forces
Meanwhile, resistance attacks on IDF have also intensified in Jenin. The resistance trapped IDF soldiers in an ambush in the Al-Damj neighbourhood and targeted them with explosives. According to the resistance, Al-Qassam fighters successfully ambushed an IDF contingent in the Haret Al-Damaj area of Jenin Camp, causing casualties.
Despite claiming that its fighters have inflicted heavy damages, the Palestinian resistance has not shared any details regarding the casualties and material damages, raising doubts about its claims.
While the world looks at the successful implementation of the Gaza ceasefire deal, Israel’s reluctance to maintain peace and the IDF and PA joint attacks on Jenin Camp pose a great threat to the scope of peace.