The cycle of violence in Palestine continues, with a new round of violations today, as Jenin camp undergoes the largest military operation by the Israeli army since 2002. The Israeli military justified the assault as a move "to eliminate the hornet's nest," resulting in 10 deaths and 50 injuries, including 10 in critical condition. Meanwhile, military helicopters evacuated injured soldiers near the Salem crossing in the West Bank. The Palestinian news agency reported that the Israeli army is sending additional military reinforcements to Jenin and its camp amid ongoing clashes. Israeli media conveyed that the second phase of the military operation will begin within hours.
The Palestinian Red Crescent has started evacuating hundreds of families from within Jenin camp after being forced to do so by Israeli forces. According to Palestinian sources, more than three thousand people have left the camp.
Simultaneously, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry called for urgent international intervention to stop the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians from their homes in Jenin. The Israeli forces also prevented journalists from covering the clashes, especially those present in the city, firing at television cameras.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that "the operation will continue as needed until its objectives are achieved," stating that the camp "will not be a refuge for terrorists, whether in Gaza, Jenin, Syria, or Iran, and anyone planning to harm us will have their blood spilled." In response, the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas decided to "suspend all communications and meetings with the Israeli side, and to continue halting security coordination." This decision came after Abbas held a meeting with other leaders within the Palestinian Authority. Abbas had previously suspended security coordination with Israel temporarily during previous waves of violence.
On Monday evening, Netanyahu named the ongoing military operation in Jenin camp "House and Garden." His remarks came during a speech at the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, which was celebrating its Independence Day. Netanyahu stated, "Since last night, Israeli soldiers have been trying to reach legitimate targets without being exposed, where there are people who would annihilate our country."
In light of the escalating violence and the presence of snipers from both sides at the camp's gates, the U.S. State Department announced the necessity of taking all precautionary measures to prevent civilian casualties in Jenin, emphasizing the significance of security coordination between the two parties. A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council affirmed "support for Israel's security and its right to defend its people against Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups."
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the ongoing developments in Jenin city. The Deputy Spokesperson for the United Nations, Farhan Haq, stated that Guterres "emphasizes that all military operations must occur with full respect for international humanitarian law."
The UNRWA issued an urgent plea for immediate access to the wounded inside the camp. Hamas announced its readiness to intervene if "Israel continues its aggression" in Jenin, while the Gaza Strip experienced demonstrations supporting the city of Jenin and condemning the Israeli attack.
The UAE strongly condemned the operation in Jenin, particularly "the assaults carried out by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian city of Jenin and its camp through airstrikes and gunfire, resulting in fatalities and injuries." It stressed the need for an "immediate cessation of the repeated and escalating campaigns against the Palestinian people" and urged Israeli authorities "not to take steps that would exacerbate tensions in the occupied Palestinian territories and lead to a further escalation of violence." The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Israel to adhere to international law and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
In a related context, Egyptian officials reported that Egypt expressed its anger to Israel regarding the operations in Jenin "which contradict the outcomes resulting from the Sharm El Sheikh and Aqaba summits." The report noted that "Egypt informed Israel that the operation jeopardizes the security situation in the Palestinian territories, and threatened to halt mediation activities between Israel and Palestinian factions."
The Arab League stated in a statement that "this aggression undermines efforts to revive the peace process," warning of "the ramifications of this aggression and its serious implications on security and stability in Palestine and the region." They announced that they would meet tomorrow to consider the violations occurring against the camp's residents.
The Gulf Cooperation Council expressed its "strong condemnation and denunciation of the ongoing and blatant Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, the latest of which was the assault on Jenin camp in the West Bank." The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also condemned "the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces in Jenin city and its camp against unarmed civilians, medical teams, and health centers," stating that "these heinous crimes are an extension of the record of crimes and state terrorism practiced by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people." It urged "the UN Security Council to assume responsibility and enforce its relevant resolutions, put an end to this ongoing Israeli terrorism, and provide protection for the Palestinian people."
