Israeli Forces Launch Major Raid, Air Strikes Against Terrorist Strongholds in Jenin

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli military and security forces launched a major attack on centers of terrorist operations in the northern West Bank city of Jenin Sunday night. Palestinian authorities reported 8 dead and 27 wounded in the attacks, which included more than a dozen airstrikes. The numbers of dead and wounded are expected to climb due to the size of the operation.

Ground forces have also surrounded the city, and one senior Israeli official was quoted in The Times of Israel that the goal of the "extensive operation" is "to end Jenin’s role as a sanctuary city for terror, and it will last as long as it needs to.”

It is the largest Israeli military action in Jenin since the Second Palestinian uprising, or Intifada, broke out in the fall of 2000.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had promised to respond late last month after Palestinians wounded 7 Israeli soldiers attempting to make arrests in Jenin, and in a separate incident, terrorists murdered 4 Jewish men at a restaurant and gas station in the Samarian community of Eli.

One target of the military action was a joint operations center run by the "Jenin Brigade," affiliated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

In a statement, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel's security agency Shin Bet said, “The operational command center also served as an advanced observation and reconnaissance center, a place where armed terrorists would gather before and after terrorist activities." The statement also said the camp was a "site for weapons and explosives” and a “hub for coordination and communication among the terrorists.”

IDF spokesman Brigadier General Daniel Hagari said the military is taking caution not to attack any forces from the Palestinian Authority, only terrorist groups and their infrastructure.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh promised a harsh response to Israel's action, and he urged West Bank Palestinians to rise up to confront Israel. "The blood spilled on the ground of Jenin will characterize the next step from all directions. Our nation and its resistance organizations in every place know how to respond to this barbaric aggression," he said.

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