Occupation’s Raid on Jenin: Palestinians’ Death Toll Climbs to Six
The raid killed five other Palestinians, including a teenager, and wounded more than 90 people.
The Palestinian health ministry identified the latest victim as Amjad al-Jas, 48, who lost his 22-year-old son, Waseem Amjad Aref al-Jas, in a similar Israeli raid on Jenin in January that claimed 10 Palestinian lives, according to Palestinian media outlet Arab48.
The youngest victim of the raid was Ahmed Youssef Saqr, 15. The other Palestinians killed by Israeli forces were Khaled Azzam Darwish, 21, Qassam Faisal Abu Sariya, 29, Qais Majdi Jabareen, 21, and Ahmed Daraghmeh, 19.
Israel deployed about 120 military vehicles and attack helicopters in Jenin on Monday morning, in what was described as the first use of combat helicopters in the West Bank since 2002. Snipers were also positioned overlooking the city.
The Jenin Brigade, a local armed resistance group, said its fighters had fired at an Israeli helicopter and had damaged Israeli military vehicles with gunfire and ambushes, according to reports.
The assault also injured at least 91 Palestinians.
The security situation in the occupied West Bank has been deteriorating for over a year, with Israel launching repeated incursions into Jenin and other locations such as the city of Nablus.
At least eight Israeli soldiers were reported to have been wounded in the raid, which lasted for several hours. Israeli forces had to retrieve wounded soldiers and immobilize vehicles during the raid.
Israel said it entered Jenin to arrest Assem Abu al-Haija, 36, a Hamas activist from the Jabriyat neighborhood on the outskirts of the northern West Bank city.
The regime is reportedly putting heavy pressure on security forces to launch an extensive military operation in the northern West Bank.
The Israeli military is said to oppose a major operation, but Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Shin Bet, the domestic security service, is gradually changing its mind.
Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 162 Palestinians this year, including 26 children.
A total of 128 fatalities have been recorded in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and a further 34 in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians have killed at least 20 Israelis in the same period.
Source: Agencies
