Why Is Israel Targeting Jenin, West Bank?

In the days since a cease-fire agreement was reached in the Gaza Strip, Israel has turned its attention to a Palestinian town about 75 miles northeast of the enclave — one with a long history of resistance. and the militant movement.

On Wednesday, after withdrawing some of its troops from Gaza, the Israeli military said it was resuming operations in Jenin, a city in the northern part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Over the decades the city has been a stronghold of militants and the target of attacks by Israeli security forces.

Since the start of the war in Gaza, Hamas has gained popularity and strengthened its presence in the West Bank. Iran – which backs Hamas and other militant groups in the region – has been flooding the territory with weapons. And the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank under Israeli control, has seen its influence further eroded.

Now, Israel seems to be focusing its attention on the West Bank, and Jenin in particular. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel’s latest move was aimed at “eradicating terrorism” and that it was “repentant and significant”.

Here’s what to know about Jenin and Israel’s latest operation there.

What is happening?

On Wednesday, an Israeli army spokesman said 10 militants were “hit” during the operation in Jenin, without giving further details. Earlier, Israel said it had killed eight militants since the offensive began.

The Palestinian health ministry said 10 people have been killed in and around Jenin since the attack began. And Palestinian officials quoted by Wafa, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, said at least four people were injured in the city on Wednesday.

Other coastal towns were also targeted. The Palestinian Authority’s prisoner affairs commission said at least 25 Palestinians have been arrested by Israeli forces across the West Bank since Tuesday evening.

Why is Israel targeting the West Bank?

Since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank has not supported parties such as Hamas that favor armed struggle and are actively fighting Israel, according to a poll by the Palestinian Policy Center. and Survey Research.

At the same time, attacks and deadly Israeli attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank increased. Israeli leaders said the military offensive was aimed at countering terrorism in the region.

The Lt. Col. Israel’s army chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, said in a speech on Tuesday that his forces had killed 794 militants in the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza. “In most cases, we have prevented the threat before the terrorists could reach Israeli citizens,” he said.

Who wears armor?

Iran runs smuggling routes across the Middle East, using intelligence agents, militants and gangs to deliver weapons to Palestinians in the West Bank, according to officials from in the United States, Israel and Iran. The aim was to create unrest against Israel by arming the territory, Iranian officials said.

Israeli security forces have launched a massive crackdown across the West Bank, saying it is part of Israel’s counter-terrorism efforts against Hamas and other armed groups.

What are the Palestinian leaders doing?

The Palestinian Authority is the governing body in some areas of the occupied West Bank. In December, security forces began a crackdown on militants in and around Jenin, who were out of control. The area is known as a stronghold for militant groups, including Hamas, calling for armed resistance against Israel.

The Palestinian Authority emerged from a peace process between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the 1990s that was supposed to lead to the creation of a Palestinian state but never materialized.

In practice, the Israeli army – the occupying force in the territory – has security control over Palestinian cities. The Palestinian Authority manages some local affairs, including garbage collection, education, hospitals and schools, and has its own security forces that work with their Israeli counterparts but have limited powers. .

Jenin has long been a symbol of resistance.

The city’s reputation for resistance dates back to the 1930s, when Palestinians took up arms against British rule in Palestine during the so-called Arab Revolt.

Later, after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war that led to the creation of modern Israel and the fleeing or expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, Jenin cemented its reputation as a city that never surrendered to Palestinian fighters, supported by the Iraqi military, against Israeli attempts to take it.

The city is home to one of the original refugee camps set up for Palestinians displaced by that conflict.

In 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank after a war with neighboring Arab countries. Jenin’s current resonance, both for Palestinians and Israelis, stems from the second intifada, or uprising, against the Israeli occupation in the early 2000s.

Israelis remember the Israelis as the source of dozens of suicide bombs launched into Israel at the time, and Palestinians remember the 10-day war in 2002 between militants and Israeli forces that killed 52 Palestinians, half of whom may be civilians. to the United Nations.

Jenin is often the target of attacks by the Israeli army. Both Hamas, which controls Gaza, and the Islamic Jihad militant group have been attacked in Jenin. And in recent years, new militias have emerged among the younger generation that are closely linked to more powerful groups that are frustrated with the Palestinian leadership they see as corrupt and responsible for the Israeli occupation.

Lara Jakes, King Abdulrahim, Isabel Kershner, Erika Solomonand Aaron Boxerman contributed to the report.