The Palestinian Authority Has Launched Its Own Security Operation In The West Bank, Killing 13 People
The Palestinian Authority said its goal is to "put an end to sedition and chaos" armed groups have created in Jenin, a stronghold of the Palestinian armed resistance.
The Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, launched on Dec. 5 a “security campaign” to crack down on what it called “outlaws” in the Jenin area, particularly in the Jenin refugee camp.
The Jenin refugee camp has long been a symbol of resistance and a reminder of the “right to return,” which is the right of displaced Palestinians to return to their homes.
It was created in 1953 to shelter Palestinians who were ethnically cleansed from their homes during the 1948 war, according to Al Jazeera.
Since then, Jenin has emerged as a stronghold of Palestinian armed resistance against Israeli occupation.
The PA said that the its main goal is to “put an end to sedition and chaos,” according to the New York Times.
It claims that armed resistance groups in Jenin have contributed to chaos and instability, which it aims to eradicate.
Experts say the move is an attempt to restore the PA’s limited authority in the occupied West Bank and persuade the US it can be a useful security partner.
However, the crackdown has been condemned by many Palestinians, human rights activists and other Palestinian political factions such as Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as the PA is fighting many armed groups resisting the Israeli army.
The PA deployed security forces into the camp, marking one of its first large-scale incursions in several years.
For the operation, named “Protecting the Homeland”, the PA used armored vehicles and established checkpoints, besieging the camp, restricting movement and severely cutting electricity and water.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has suspended its services due to safety concerns.
Reports indicated that PA forces took control of parts of a hospital and used it as a tactical base for operations.
The crackdown has resulted in some of the worst internal fighting among Palestinians in years, with reports of gunfire and at least 11 Palestinians being killed, including two children, according to the UN.
PA forces also killed 21-year-old Palestinian journalist Shatha Sabbagh who was reporting in Jenin on Saturday, Dec. 28, according to her family.
Witnesses said PA forces are excessively using force, arbitrarily arresting people and allegedly torturing those opposing its actions.
Videos shared on social media showed PA forces throwing a young Palestinian man into a garbage container while he was handcuffed.
Another video showed PA forces shooting at civilians and injuring a child.
In conjunction with the crackdown, the PA has temporarily suspended Al Jazeera's operations in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, accusing the Qatari network of "inciting sedition" and "interfering in internal Palestinian affairs."
Isha Jain
Cherry Mohamed
