Israeli‍ Military Campaign in⁢ Jenin: A ⁢10-Day ​Operation of‌ Destruction

On the afternoon of September 3, 16-year-old Lujain Osama was standing behind the window of her house in the town of Kafr⁣ Dan, west ⁤of Jenin in the West Bank. Moments later,​ her father entered after‍ hearing a bullet nearby. The⁤ girl was covered in blood, and a bullet had entered ⁤her chest.

Osama was one of the ‍victims of the‌ Israeli military campaign in Jenin, which lasted for 10 consecutive days and wreaked havoc⁢ on the city and⁤ its camp infrastructure.⁤ Some residents said what they⁢ faced this⁢ time was different from previous “attacks”.

Israel has long ⁢targeted Jenin, in the northern West Bank, where⁣ it says​ it faces “armed Palestinian​ groups”. It blames its military operation in the West‍ Bank on “pursuing those wanted for terrorist offences”.

On Friday, Israel said, after its forces withdrew from the city, they ⁢had “killed 14 militants and arrested 30.” Meanwhile, the Palestinian news agency, Wafa, reported that 21 people were killed, “including children, the elderly, and a 16-year-old girl who was hit by a ⁣sniper’s bullet while looking out the window.”

Several residents‍ of ​Jenin described ⁤the tragic conditions they faced during‍ the days of​ the Israeli raids on the town and the camp and spoke of “massive destruction of infrastructure, as roads were bulldozed and⁤ houses ‌turned into military barracks, after their inhabitants ‌were expelled.”

However, some residents ⁤of the city​ who⁣ spoke to Al-Hura’s website felt that Israel’s continued targeting of Jenin “is an indirect message to⁢ them that they must give it up and give up their land.”

For his part, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer said⁢ Monday that “Iran is exploiting the West Bank to ⁤increase its attacks on Israel,”⁣ adding that the ⁤Israeli army “seized weapons in the West Bank that are spread throughout the Middle East.”

He continued: “Our operations ​in the West Bank will thwart‍ any future attack.”

Slow ⁢Death

“The 10-day campaign extended‍ to the city’s hospitals and ​was targeting⁤ ambulance infrastructure, water and electricity networks, house facades, and sewage,” said Ahmed Hawashin, a young human rights lawyer based in Jenin.

He added in his interview with Al-Hura’s ‍website that, through his work, he contacted the owners of ⁤houses‌ that ⁢”were used as military barracks during the days of the Israeli campaign and their residents were evicted from them for several days.”

Israel said it had “found a cache of weapons and explosives in the area” ‍and announced that‍ “Hamas official in Jenin, Wissam Khazem (28 ‍years old) was‌ killed,” which was also confirmed‍ by the Palestinian movement.

The battles affected Farid Buwakna (33 ⁤years old), who⁣ described himself on Al-Hura’s website as‍ “not affiliated with the resistance or​ anything else” that he does not ‍practice violence but said that despite this, Israeli forces “attacked a house .” His⁤ family is in the Jenin camp and they were forced to leave⁢ for 8 days.”