In a dangerous escalation, the Jenin camp in the northern occupied West Bank witnessed bloody clashes on Saturday, December 14, between the members of the "Jenin Brigade," which is affiliated with the "Al-Quds Brigades," the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, and the security forces belonging to the Palestinian Authority.
These clashes resulted in the martyrdom of Brigade leader Yazeed Jaa'isa, one of the most wanted leaders by the occupation forces for over four years, in addition to the martyrdom of the child Muhammad Amer (15 years old), and about 40 other Palestinians were injured, according to local sources.
At the same time, Palestinian security forces continue to carry out extensive raid operations in the camp, with confirmations from the Palestinian Authority that these operations aim to restore order and maintain civil peace; a move that has sparked waves of condemnation and rejection at various levels.
Abdul Rahman Shadid, a leader in the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the West Bank, stated that 13 Palestinians have been martyred at the hands of Palestinian security forces since the onset of the Zionist aggression on October 7, 2023.
In statements to Al Jazeera, Shadid called on the Palestinian Authority to strengthen national unity instead of targeting field leaders in the West Bank, emphasizing that what the Authority is doing is a clear targeting of the escalating resistance, pointing out that these policies open the door to internal strife amid the massacres committed by the occupation in Gaza.
Shadid demanded the Authority to stop this trend that threatens the stability of the Palestinian people.
Beginning of the Escalation in Jenin Camp
The events in the camp began in the early hours of Saturday, when a large force from the Palestinian Authority's security apparatus stormed the camp from three main axes. Local sources revealed the presence of snipers stationed on the roofs of some buildings while clashes between the Palestinian resistance and the security forces continued throughout the day.
The escalation began a few days earlier, following the arrest of several prominent leaders in the camp by the Authority’s forces, such as Ibrahim Tubasi and Imad Abu Heija, which sparked widespread outrage within the "Jenin Brigade," which seized Palestinian Authority vehicles as hostages to demand their release.
Factions Condemn the Action
In the wake of the escalation, several Palestinian factions issued statements criticizing the security campaign by the Authority’s forces in the West Bank, calling for pressure on the Authority to withdraw its forces from the camps and to stop targeting the resistance fighters.
Hamas, for its part, confirmed that the continued pursuit of resistance fighters in Jenin by the Authority's security apparatus aligns with the occupation's aggression.
In a press release, the movement mourned the martyr leader Jaa'isa who was shot by the Authority's forces in Jenin, just days after the execution of the boy Rabhi al-Shalabi.
The movement called for a decisive stance against this behavior that threatens the stability of the Palestinian people, demanding an end to the assaults and the release of political detainees.
On their part, the Islamic Jihad Movement strongly condemned what it described as "serious violations" committed by the security apparatus of the Palestinian Authority against resistance fighters in the West Bank, considering that its practices of killing, arresting, and pursuing constitute a violation of religious, national, and familial taboos. The movement accused the Authority of seeking to drag the West Bank into a state of sedition and internal conflict.
In a press statement, the movement confirmed that the continuation of this condemned and suspicious scheme would remain a stain of shame that haunts all who engage in it, as well as anyone who stands by or remains silent regarding these violations.
It added that the city of Jenin and its camp have been witnessing violent clashes between Palestinian resistance forces and the Authority's security apparatus for six days, indicating that these events erupted following the security forces' arrest of several members of the "Jenin Brigade" fighters, in addition to confiscating funds belonging to the families of martyrs.
The movement clarified that the Authority's forces have continued their tight siege on the Jenin camp for the sixth day, having deployed significant military reinforcements, including armored vehicles in the streets of the camp and snipers positioned on the rooftops, in a scene reminiscent of the tactics employed by the "Israeli" occupation army during its incursions into Palestinian camps.
In reaction to the occupation's pressures and to suppress resistance, author and rights advocate Mustafa Ibrahim condemned the Palestinian Authority's position on the occurrences in Jenin—leading to the martyrdom of a young man and then a child—as intolerable, claiming that the Authority’s method of addressing the crisis with the resistance remains consistent with its long-standing approach.
Ibrahim questioned, in a post on Facebook: "Is the Authority afraid of a war in the West Bank akin to that which occurred in Gaza? Or is the security it claims to maintain merely a response to "Israeli" pressures?"
He emphasized that the "Israeli" occupation policies proceed to uproot the West Bank and displace its residents, without being met with effective Palestinian resistance.
For her part, writer Lama Khater harshly criticized the Authority's practices in Jenin, considering it an attempt to eliminate what remains of resistance strongholds.
Khater stated, via her account on X (formerly Twitter): "The shameful actions practiced by the Authority in Jenin are labeled 'protecting the homeland,' which is one of the most despicable terms that can be used to describe a campaign. The campaign aimed at cleansing what remains of resistance strongholds and easing the occupier's burden of facing them, helping them focus on crushing Gaza."
She added: "This is how the cowards manipulate minds and continue to take the public for fools, and all of this is evidence against those who hope for goodness from them."
Political analyst Yasser Zou'aiter wrote on his account on the X platform: "This is how they embrace the enemy in fighting resistance, under the slogan of 'protecting the national project'! And Fatah, behind them, applauds and justifies!"
