The attack, launched by Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing nationalist government, targeted the northern West Bank city of Jenin and is the biggest in almost 20 years. Armored vehicles, bulldozers and drones have been used. Of the 100 injured, 20 have serious injuries, according to Palestinian authorities. Ongoing operation Since the operation was launched early Monday, around 3,000 Palestinians have left their homes in the Jenin refugee camp, according to the Palestinian authorities. A day later it was still going on. Early on Monday morning, smoke could be seen rising from the refugee camp in Jenin. Photo: AFP Netanyahu says in a statement that Israeli forces in the “terrorist nests in Jenin” are destroying command centers and making significant weapons seizures. IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari says that Israeli forces do not intend to remain in the camp, but that “we are preparing for the more serious situation” of prolonged clashes. Another spokesman says the defense is looking for “specific targets”, adding that the military operation has no defined timeline. – Open war Exchanges of gunfire and explosions have characterized both the city and the refugee camp, which is a core area for armed Palestinian resistance to Israel. Several militant groups are present today and call themselves the Jenin Brigades. – There is bombing from the air and an invasion on the ground, says Mahmoud al-Saadi, leader of the Palestinian Red Crescent in Jenin. About 3,000 Palestinians have fled Jenin after the Israeli army entered the city. Photo: AFP The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls the escalation of the conflict an “open war against the people of Jenin”. – I saw them drive bulldozers into the camp, they destroyed buildings. They were people’s homes, Badr Shagoul, who lives in the camp, told AFP. The UN emergency aid office OCHA says that most people in the camp are without water and electricity after damage to the infrastructure. Concern about escalation UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed concern about the situation, and asks that international law be respected. Tor Wennesland, the UN’s special coordinator for the peace process in the Middle East, refers to the situation as a “very dangerous escalation”. The Arab League will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to discuss “an Arab mobilization to meet the Israeli attack on Jenin”. The Palestinian militant group Islamic Holy War says that “all possibilities are open to hit the enemy in response to the aggression in Jenin”.
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