Palestinians mourn
victims of Israel’s largest West Bank operation in years
The operation targeted the northern city of
Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp, a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups.
The operation involved drone strikes, hundreds
of troops, armoured vehicles, army bulldozers and snipers. It was the biggest
Israeli military raid in the West Bank for years.
The operation was launched under Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right government and was described by the
Israeli army as an "extensive counter-terrorism effort".
The operation sparked fierce clashes and
firefights between Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen, as well as protests
and stone-throwing by Palestinian civilians.
The operation resulted in the deaths of eight
Palestinians and the injuries of 50 others, 10 of them seriously. Some of the
dead and wounded were reportedly civilians.
The operation was condemned by Palestinian
officials as “a new war crime against our defenseless people” and "an open
war against the people of Jenin". It also drew criticism from some
international actors, such as Britain’s prime minister Rishi Sunak, who urged
Israel to exercise restraint and protect civilians.
The operation was defended by Israeli
officials as a necessary measure to combat terrorism and protect Israel’s
security. It also received support from the White House, which said it backed
Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas and other militant groups.
The Israeli operation in Jenin has provoked
various reactions from different people and groups.
Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that
controls Gaza, condemned the attack as “barbaric aggression” and called on
Palestinians in the West Bank to "stand by Jenin and defend its
people". Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said that "our people and their
resistance everywhere know how to respond to this barbaric aggression".
The Palestinian Authority, the internationally
recognized government of the Palestinians, denounced the attack as “a new war
crime against our defenseless people” and "an open war against the people
of Jenin". PA President Mahmoud Abbas said that Israel was "trying to
drag us into a cycle of violence and chaos".
Iran, a regional rival of Israel and a
supporter of Hamas, condemned the attack as a "reckless crime and a
prominent measure of state terrorism"3. Iranian foreign ministry
spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said that "the Zionist entity will be defeated
this time as well".
Egypt, Jordan and the Arab League, which have
diplomatic relations with Israel but also support the Palestinian cause,
strongly criticized the attack and called for international intervention to
stop the Israeli violations. They also urged Israel to exercise restraint and
protect civilians.
The United Nations, the global organization
that seeks to maintain peace and security, expressed concern over the
escalation of violence and called for calm and de-escalation. UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he was “deeply disturbed by the
reports of civilian casualties, including children, from Israeli air strikes in
Jenin”.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally and a
major donor to both Israel and the Palestinians, backed Israel’s right to
defend itself against Hamas and other militant groups, but also urged both
sides to avoid further civilian casualties. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki
said that “we support Israel’s legitimate right to self-defense against
terrorist threats”.
Britain, France and Germany, three influential
European countries that have strong ties with both Israel and the Palestinians,
expressed alarm over the situation in Jenin and called for an immediate end to
hostilities. They also reiterated their support for a two-state solution to the
conflict.
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