Israeli army kills eight Palestinians, wounds 80 others and detains 70 more in operation in Jenin

At least eight Palestinians have been killed and more than 80 injured — at least 17 of them seriously — at the hands of the Israeli army in an operation early Monday morning. Jenin in the West Bank, including bombings at various points in the city, according to the official Palestinian balance sheet. Another 70 Palestinians have been detained in an operation Israel says is nearing completion.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Twitter that Israeli soldiers are “attacking a terrorist infrastructure” in Jenin to “counter terrorism throughout the city and in the Jenin refugee camp.”

The IDF has indicated that 1,000 troops attacked an Islamic Jihad headquarters that has also been used as an observation post, a meeting place for “armed terrorists”a place where weapons and explosives were collected and a haven for suspects of attacks in recent months.

During the operation, a mosque in the center of Jenin was captured, where weapons and explosives were found hidden in two underground warehouses. Several militiamen had holed up inside the temple, but after an intense firefight, the Israelis managed to get inside.

“We did not come to occupy the refugee camp. It is not an operation against the Palestinian Authority, but against the terrorist groups in Jenin,” Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said. The operation may end in “one or two days”.when the objectives are achieved, Hagari has indicated.

While Israeli government sources have stressed that “the aim of this massive operation is to end Jenin’s role as a haven for terrorism”.

For its part, the Islamic Jihad confirmed the attack on the infrastructure of its subsidiary, the Jenin Battalion, while affirming that the aggression “will not achieve its objectives” and that “Jenin will remain a symbol of steadfastness”.

Likewise, it has communicated that the various factions of the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip are meeting to “follow up the barbaric aggression against Jenin” and has assured that they will not allow the invasion.

Furthermore, the leader of HamasIsmail Haniya, has stated that “the bloodshed in the land of Jenin from all directions will determine the nature of the next phase,” and calls on the West Bank to support Jenin and defend their people.

Likewise the Palestinian movement Al Fatah has indicated that the “barbaric aggression of the Israeli occupation” against the Jenin camp” will not prevent Palestinians from “continuing to defend the rights of the people” until they achieve “freedom and independence.”

Tensions have risen especially since June 19, when an Israeli army raid on Jenin killed seven Palestinians, including two minors, and wounded more than 90. Just a day later, four Israelis were killed in an attack near the Eli settlement.

In this context, hundreds of settlers carried out attacks on West Bank towns, events that resulted in the death of a Palestinian, while the Israeli army killed three Palestinians – members of Islamic Jihad and the armed wing of Al Fatah – in a drone. strike near Jenin.