IDF Soldier in Jenin (IDF)
Before dawn on Monday morning, the IDF began a campaign against centers of terror located in the Jenin Refugee Camp in the northern West Bank. The operation, said the IDF, comes in response to as many as 50 terrorist attacks carried against Israeli civilians and IDF targets were planned in the camp.
The IDF has already released multiple images of weapons and bomb making items that were captured since the start of the operation. In one image gas canisters, like those used for cooking, a pile of different types of wires and various explosive materials can be seen. Another shows various components of automatic weapons, apparently saved as spare parts to construct ad hoc weapons.
IDF spokesman Brigadier General Daniel Hagari said the operation, which includes elements of a number of different infantry brigades as well as special forces, is intended to thwart the capabilities of terrorist organizations based there to continue with their activities and promised that infrastructure for making weapons and bombs as well as wanted terrorists will be targeted.
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He also implied that this is only the beginning saying the activity is “part of a sequence of actions that we will continue to carry out.”
“The Jenin Camp is a terrorist stronghold,” said the IDF in a statement. “We will not standby idle while terrorists continue to harm civilians using Jenin Camp as a hideout.”
Harai did not say how long this operation will last, just that there will be a number of operations carried out in all of northern Samaria according to two criteria: intelligence gathered on the terrorist bases and operational timing.
The Israel Air Force said that in a joint operation by the IDF and Shin Bet, IAF aircraft attacked terrorist infrastructure targets more than ten times, as well as armed men in the Jenin refugee camp.
Terrorist Bomb Making Items Found in Jenin (IDF)
In addition, the forces destroyed a laboratory for the production and storage of explosives. Also, the fighters located and confiscated an improvised rocket launcher and other weapons.
Videos released by residents of the camp showed an armored IDF bulldozer tearing up the asphalt covering a local street, leaving behind only a dirt path.
The IDF said that this was done to clear the road of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) that were placed there. The road, it said, was cleared of the explosives to allow the infantry forces to move forward.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry released a statement about the IDF’s operation charging that terrorist organizations use the camp to promote terror activities within a highly populated area.
“They operate a terror hub embedded among schools and medical centers,” said the statement.
The Foreign Ministry said that Israel acts against terror elements which “disrupt the stability and security of the region, while weakening the Palestinian Authority.”
“Israel will not tolerate any act of terrorism against its citizens, and will act resolutely to dismantle these threats,” the statement declared.
At this time it is not known which terror group is being targeted; although, the Islamic Jihad has been active in the area recently and in May Israel’s “Operation Shield and Arrow” in Gaza was directed against that organization’s leadership and infrastructure, while the Hamas terror group, which controls Gaza, did not intervene in the fighting.
One thing that is undeniable at this point is that Israel’s security forces like the IDF had extensive intelligence on the locations and resources of the terrorist bases in the camp.
