It was Israel’s largest military operation in the occupied West Bank in decades. After fighting, the troops withdrew from Jenin. However, their return seems only a matter of time.
Israel’s military has officially ended its largest deployment in the West Bank in more than 20 years. All soldiers have withdrawn from the city of Jenin, the army said. The military returned to “routine activities” in the West Bank, and many residents of Jenin returned to their homes. Killed fighters were buried.
On Monday, after airstrikes, Israel’s army with around a thousand soldiers moved into Jenin, which is less than 80 kilometers as the crow flies from Jerusalem. The declared goal was the destruction of “terrorist infrastructure”. According to a spokesman, this was “successfully achieved” after two days of bloody fighting. Countless weapons and explosive devices were confiscated, command centers and hiding places were destroyed and, according to Israeli information, twelve armed fighters were killed.
Netanyahu: Not a one-time event
Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in the center of the local refugee camp that night to celebrate the withdrawal. Loud chanting, shouts such as “God is great” and shots in the air could be heard on video recordings. Clean-up work began in the morning. Cars, roads, power and water lines were destroyed in the military operation and now need to be repaired.
However, it is uncertain how long the calm in Jenin will last. “We will be back,” said an army spokesman in the morning. There is no silver bullet against terrorism. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that the mission was “not a one-off event”.
retreat for extremists
Like the Gaza Strip, the region around Jenin and the refugee camp there with around 17,000 inhabitants have long been regarded as a breeding ground for militant Palestinians. In addition to Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other loose extremist groups have also gained influence there. They are largely funded by Iran, Israel’s nemesis. Several residents of the city have carried out deadly attacks on Israelis in recent years.
As a result, the area has repeatedly been the scene of violence in the past. During the last comparable military operation in 2002, Israeli soldiers and militant Palestinians fought for days in the narrow streets of the camp. More than 50 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers were killed. Even after that, there were regular bloody confrontations there.
Hamas in the Gaza Strip is holding back
If there had been dozens of Palestinian victims in the most recent operation, the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the militant Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad would probably have had to react, says Jochanan Zoref from the Institute for National Security Studies. On the night of the withdrawal, five more rockets flew out of the coastal strip. “The groups wanted to signal their support for Jenin.” However, the relatively small number of rockets shows that they do not want to draw Gaza back into an armed conflict with Israel.
In particular, the ruling Hamas there, which also sees itself as responsible for the well-being of the civilian population, has recently deliberately withdrawn from armed conflicts with Israel. She is still weakened from previous rounds of arms.
Expert: Political solution needed
The next few months will show how successful the military operation was, says Zoref. “But new terrorist attacks like the one in Tel Aviv are certain.” On Tuesday, a Palestinian drove into a group of people and then stabbed them.
Observers generally doubt that the recent military operation in Jenin will contribute to a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Tamir Hajman from Tel Aviv University said it was true that individual fighters could be eliminated in such operations. “But only political action will ensure long-term stability.” According to Palestinian media, most of the armed fighters fled Jenin shortly before the start of the offensive.
Netanyahu under domestic pressure
There have been no serious negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians since 2014. It remains questionable whether the right-wing religious government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will resume it. In particular, his right-wing extremist and pro-settlement coalition partners repeatedly advocate tougher action against the Palestinians.
However, the mission was one of the more successful for the head of government, comments political expert Avi Issacharoff on the news site “Ynet”. “The (judicial) reform can continue, the protests are less interesting.” The controversial plans have been dividing Israeli society for months, and there have been mass demonstrations against them time and time again. The government’s plan, with which it wants to specifically weaken the country’s highest court, is expected to clear further hurdles in the coming weeks.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
