Israel’s extensive counterterrorism effort in the northern West Bank city of Jenin entered its second day on Tuesday to “low” resistance, according to a security official.
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According to the official, who spoke to Ynet on condition of anonymity, "The current impression is that the operation is progressing slowly and smoothly. The resistance is low, and there are no armed individuals in the targets as they have fled inward, to the heart of the refugee camp. The task of collecting weapons and clearing combat equipment continues. We are currently preparing to intensify the operation in anticipation of a day of fighting."
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Smoke billowing over Jenin on second day of IDF counterterrorism operation
(Photo: EPA/Alaa Badarneh)
The official’s remarks come against the backdrop of dramatic scenes in which thousands of locals were seen leaving the area Monday night amid the intense fighting in the refugee camp.
Commando forces continued to comb through the refugee camp through the night, uncovering additional command centers, explosive charges and weapons caches.
Furthermore, several prominent terror suspects were arrested, some of them in the villages surrounding the refugee camp. Since the beginning of the operation, nine terrorists have been killed, and approximately 100 others have been injured.
Meanwhile, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a press briefing that "We have been preparing for months to address the issue of the Jenin refugee camp, and we chose the current timing due to constraints of other operations, higher-level strategic decisions and the relevant intelligence assessment for the operation. Weather conditions were also a consideration.”
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IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi (R) directs the operation from the command center
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Hagari added that the IDF’s opening strike on the command center of the local terrorist factions has given Israeli forces a significant advantage.
“The opening strike on the command center allowed us a swift and relatively secure entry of our forces, preventing them from gaining an advantage by targeting our vehicles with explosives. The surprise of the opening strike disrupted them and drew them from the camp's outskirts to its center, resulting in less friction in certain sectors of the operation within the camp," he said.
"We established a doctrine of incursion and ambush - meaning incursions into the heart of the camp. There was not a single point in the refugee camp that we did not operate in. There were no significant clashes, and the armed individuals chose not to come out and fight.
Meanwhile, a [police counterterror] force entered the heart of the camp and executed a targeted raid that included a breach with explosive charges that we detonated. The terrorists fled from there. We also found a weapon workshop and additional command centers, including screens connected to street cameras. We have about ten marked targets left in the center of the camp, and we are deploying the Maglan, Duvdevan, Egoz and paratrooper reconnaissance pcommando] units to enter these targets in the upcoming hours."
According to Rear Admiral Hagari, the IDF has carried out 20 airstrikes so far, mostly using drones. He noted that all nine Palestinian casualties were involved in the fighting. "There were wounded individuals who were not involved, but there were no restrictions on the movement of ambulances."
He also mentioned that 3,000 Palestinians left the camp, saying "There is no curfew in the camp, but the only ones we do not allow to enter the camp are Israelis."
Overnight Tuesday, footage surfaced showing four Palestinians entering the Joseph's Tomb compound in Nablus. They left after causing damage to several items and the electrical system within the compound. No further damage was reported.
Security sources stated that, against the backdrop of the Palestinian Authority's threat to suspend security coordination, Palestinian police should have prevented their entry into the site.
Yossi Dagan, head of the Shomron Regional Council, received updates on the incident from the Shomron Brigade commander Colonel Shimon Siso. "Once again, we are reminded that only the State of Israel and the IDF can safeguard Joseph's Tomb, one of the sacred sites of the Jewish people," said Dagan. "The terrorist Palestinian Authority will not be the one to preserve the sanctity of Israel's holy sites."