5 Palestinians Killed, 7 Israeli Troops Wounded in Gun Battle
Israeli security forces come under heavy fire, including the detonation of a bomb next to a military vehicle, during a raid in Jenin. Palestinians are infuriated by an Israeli resolution expediting settlement building in the West Bank
Mohammad Al-Kassim/The Media Line
Israeli troops killed five Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, and wounded 90 Palestinians, 18 of them seriously, and Palestinian fighters injured seven Israeli soldiers during a gun battle that broke out when Israeli security forces raided the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank on Monday.
The Israeli military said it had been conducting an operation to arrest “wanted suspects” when its forces came under heavy fire, with Palestinian fighters detonating a roadside bomb next to an Israeli military vehicle.
The violence saw the rare use of an Israeli helicopter gunship in the West Bank, which provided covering gunfire to enable the evacuation of the injured Israeli forces.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who is in Paris for a major air force and defense expo, responded to the incident, saying, “The Israel Defense Forces, border police, and Shin Bet forces went to arrest suspects in the Jenin refugee camp. During their exit, there was an ambush.”
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh condemned the Israeli raid, saying, “A bloody morning in Jenin as a result of the occupation army’s continuous storming of the city. International silence and double standards encourage this extremist government to practice more killing, destruction, and intimidation.”
The Palestinian Authority decided to hold an emergency meeting on Monday in response to the incident.
The bloody escalation comes one day after the Israeli cabinet on Sunday approved a resolution to expedite the building of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
The decision gives more authority to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right former settlement activist who also holds a portfolio in the Defense Ministry that oversees the administration of the West Bank, bypassing approval from the defense minister.
Putting this power in Smotrich’s hands limits the ability of the US and other countries to pressure the Israeli government to suspend such plans.
Palestinians are furious with the Israeli government’s move, describing it as a “dangerous escalation.” The decision prompted the Palestinian Authority to boycott an economic meeting with Israel that had been scheduled for Monday. The meeting of the Joint Economic Committee, which had not been previously announced, would have been the first time it had convened since 2009.
PA Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh said Sunday in a tweet that Palestinian leaders “will study a number of other measures and decisions for implementation related to the relationship with Israel.”
A top PA official close to President Mahmoud Abbas told The Media Line that the Palestinian leadership is considering taking retaliatory measures in response to Israel’s announcement and its raid on the Jenin refugee camp. The aide declined to specify the steps, but in the past, the PA has suspended its security coordination with Israel and has canceled meetings.
Analysts described the move as a major coup in the settlement expansion measures, as it negates the considerations of the political leadership, and may exacerbate an already tense situation with the Palestinians and risk US and European criticism.
The Israeli cabinet decision could further risk straining ties with the US administration. More than six months after returning to the premiership, Binyamin Netanyahu has yet to receive an official invitation to visit the White House.
Professor Efraim Inbar, president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, told The Media Line that this is an “issue the two countries agreed to disagree on.”
“There has been no agreement between Israel and the US on the issue of settlements since 1967, but I don’t think it will impact the relations between the two sides,” Inbar said.
“There are many statements from the State Department over the years, and Israel continues to do what it feels is important. It could be the result of domestic pressure, particularly in this government.”
Many observers say that there are many other important issues that the Biden Administration is preoccupied with that make it difficult for it to pay attention or devote time to this issue. Inbar said that the current administration is not strong enough and does not hold any cards with which it can pressure Israel.
“It has so many things on its plate: There’s a war in Ukraine, challenges with China, and the Iran nuclear program; all this is more important. This has been a marginal issue for this administration,” Inbar said.
Ramallah-based political analyst Esmat Mansour told The Media Line the PA needs to seize the opportunity and exert more pressure on Israel.
“This step is extremely dangerous and will bring about a change not only quantitatively, in the number of settlers and settlements, but also in the status of occupation legally and politically and thinking about confronting it in different ways. I think the authority should take advantage of the American reaction,” Mansour said.
Sunday’s announcements came while US Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf was kicking off another round of shuttle diplomacy in Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Amman this week, holding talks with senior Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian officials on West Bank tensions, the Abraham Accords, and the Iranian nuclear threat.
“America has publicly criticized these measures. The PA must raise the ceiling of its demands, increase pressure on Israel, barricade itself behind specific demands, and take advantage of this American anger and tension with the Netanyahu government,” Mansour said.
He said previously used PA threats to suspend security cooperation would not satisfy Palestinians any longer.
“I think all the old measures will not deter Israel and will not satisfy the demands of the Palestinian street,” he said.
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