Israel stages a deadly large-scale raid on Palestinian Jenin camp in the West Bank
NPR Online NewsMAY 2023
Israel is pushing the situation in the occupied West Bank to a breaking point by increasingly attacking Palestinian cities and committing war crimes. This attack on Jenin is reminiscent of the 2002 battle of Jenin, in which Israel killed over 50 Palestinians and laid waste to the city's refugee camp. Though Israel clearly wants to continue its assault on Palestine, it will have to keep in mind other fronts — such as Gaza and Lebanon — where it does not want to see an escalation.
Unfortunately, Israel was forced to react to increasing Iranian interference in the West Bank and break the mindset that Jenin can be used as a springboard to launch attacks against Israeli civilians. For too long, Palestinian terrorists have been allowed to operate relatively freely in the northern West Bank — this must change. Additionally, Iran has been increasing its support to terrorists, inciting a violent situation to which Israel must respond.
The current situation in Jenin and the West Bank as a whole is the result of a new generation of Palestinians who grew up during the Second Intifada and cannot be controlled by the deeply maligned Palestinian Authority. Palestinian security forces hold little sway in cities like Jenin, which has created a ripe environment for young Palestinians to take up arms. Indeed, the fighting in Jenin stems from both Israel being caught off guard by local fighters' preparedness and the Israeli government sidelining the Palestinian Authority.