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December 2024 Palestinian Authority operation in Jenin

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Operation Protect the Homeland
Part of the Palestinian Authority–West Bank militias conflict
Date5 December 2024 – present
Location
Jenin, West Bank, Palestine
Belligerents
State of Palestine Palestinian Authority
Supported by:
 Israel[1][2]
 United States[3]		  Palestinian Islamic Jihad
 Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
Hamas
Supported by:
State of Palestine Civilian protestors
Commanders and leaders
State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas
State of Palestine Nidal Abu Dukhan[4]		 Yazid Jaayseh †
Units involved

Palestinian National Security Forces

Palestinian Civil Police Force		 Jenin Brigades[a]
Strength
~300 officers[2] Unknown
Casualties and losses
Several security officers injured[3]
3 police officers injured[3]		 At least 3 militants killed[3]
20+ militants injured[7]
At least 2 civilians killed[3][8]
20+ civilians injured[3]

On 5 December 2024, the Palestinian National Security Forces of the Palestinian Authority (PA) began a large-scale operation into the West Bank city of Jenin against the Jenin Brigades, a local Palestinian militia.[9][10] The PA has called it "Operation Protect the Homeland"[b] and says it was launched in order to "eradicate sedition and chaos" in the West Bank,[10] portraying militants as agents of instability and collaborators with the Israeli far-right, which has sought to weaken the PA.[11] Notably, the operation marks the first time in several years that Palestinian Authority security forces have entered the Jenin refugee camp,[12][13] which is under the de facto control of militants.[14][15][16]

Background

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Since 2022, there has been an ongoing armed conflict between the Palestinian Authority and local anti-Israel militias, which has escalated during the ongoing Israel–Hamas war. The Palestinian Authority, which autonomously governs the Palestinian enclaves of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has been frequently characterized as a partner of Israel and complicit in the occupation.[17][18][19]

The PA, widely perceived as ineffective, has been also been seeking to bolster its credibility as an administration capable of strong governance and suppressing militants.[9][3] Similar aims motivated the PA during its earlier operation into Tubas in October 2024.[20]

Jenin has historically been a hotbed of conflict between Palestinian militants and Israel, and the city's refugee camp has especially been a militant stronghold.[21] The Jenin Brigades formed in the city in 2021 and has engaged in confrontations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The semi-autonomous Brigades operate simultaneously under three militant factions: Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, and Hamas.[14][6][22]

Timeline of events

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5 December

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Clashes broke out between the PA security forces and militants in Jenin after the former arrested several wanted militants in the city. During the clashes, militants seized two vehicles belonging to the security forces, which were later seen paraded around Jenin.[23][3]

6 December

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Militants detonated a car bomb near a police station, wounding three Palestinian policemen and two civilians. Following the bombing, PA president Mahmoud Abbas reportedly ordered security forces to take control of the Jenin refugee camp and threatened to fire reluctant security officials. The PA also contacted the United States, briefing the Joe Biden administration and advisers of American president-elect Donald Trump about their plans and requesting military assistance.[3]

9 December

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PA security forces launched an incursion into the Jenin refugee camp for the first time in several years, seizing and dismantling IEDs and detaining several militants.[13][24]

19-year old Rahbi Shalabi, a local civilian, was killed during the fighting, with the PA initially claiming militants were responsible.[8] Later, the PA admitted "full responsibility" for Shalabi's killing.[10]

10 December

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Mahmoud Abu-Talal, a local militant commander, was seen leading a demonstration calling for the overthrow of the Palestinian Authority.[13]

12 December

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Israeli media reported that Abbas ordered security forces not to leave Jenin until they "resolve the situation", and that Israel warned the Palestinian Authority that the operation was "proceeding too slowly and on too small a scale".[25]

14 December

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Brigadier General Anwar Rajab, a spokesman for the PA security forces, formally announced the operation and vowed that the PA would regain control of the Jenin refugee camp.[26] Rajab also compared local militants to ISIS.[9][27]

Security forces operating in the Jenin camp killed Yazid Jaayseh, a commander of the Jenin Brigades.[10][26] Security forces also set up checkpoints,[21] besieged the Jenin Government Hospital, stormed Ibn Sina Hospital, and were detaining and searching ambulances.[10] PA snipers were deployed on some buildings in the camp.[28]

That night, civilians demonstrated in favor of the Jenin Brigades, and security forces stationed near the city's Shifa Hospital opened fire on the crowd, causing injuries.[29]

UNRWA announced the suspension of its services in the Jenin camp on account of the fighting.[28][30]

15 December

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The United States asked Israel to urgently approve a supply of equipment and ammunition for the PA forces operating in Jenin.[31]

16 December

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The Palestinian Authority claimed its security forces had made significant advances in the Jenin refugee camp, and that half the camp was now under operational control.[32]

The residents of Jenin also undertook a general strike in protest of the operation.[33]

18 December

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An unnamed commander of the Jenin Brigades reported that attempted negotiations with the security forces ended in failure.[34][35]

Humanitarian impact

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The operation has left the Jenin refugee camp under siege, with no movement in or out, cuts to electricity and water, and ambulances unable to enter or exit.[11]

Reactions

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Palestinian militant organizations

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Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Resistance Committees all condemned the Palestinian Authority's operation, including the killing of Jaayseh.[10][36] Hamas official Abdul-Rahman Shadeed said that the PA must "strengthen the national cause" instead of suppressing anti-Israel militancy.[36]

Clashes between militants and security forces in response to the events in Jenin were also reported in Nablus and Tulkarm on 10 December.[37]

Israel

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The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was reported to have "expressed satisfaction" with the course of the Jenin operation, and the Israeli security cabinet directed the IDF to bolster collaboration with the PA security forces on the recommendation of the Central Command.[2]

An Israeli security source told Haaretz:

Jenin is now a microcosmos of the whole West Bank. If the PA sputters there, its control in the entire region is in danger. All told, the units have legitimization to act at the moment, despite the criticism of the Abu Mazen [Abbas] government. If they're successful in Jenin, it's likely that they will try to extend their activity to additional refugee camps in the north part of the West Bank. If they fail, or if we kick them out of there, that could signal the beginning of the end of their rule.[7]

Notes

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  1. ^ Like most of the other Palestinian militias in the West Bank, the Jenin Brigades are semi-autonomous and "cross-factional", simultaneously shared among PIJ, Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, and Hamas.[5][6]
  2. ^ Arabic: عملية حماية الوطن

References

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  1. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (19 December 2024). "IDF says it supports bolstering PA forces to combat West Bank terror". The Times of Israel.
  2. ^ a b c "Israeli army backs Palestinian Authority's assault on Jenin camp". Middle East Eye. 19 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ravid, Barak (2024-12-15). "U.S. asks Israel to approve military aid to Palestinian security forces". Axios. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  4. ^ a b Halabi, Einav (15 December 2024). "Palestinian Authority's elite unit leads Jenin anti-terror operation". Ynet.
  5. ^ "The Resurgence of Armed Groups in the West Bank and Their Connections to Gaza". ACLED. 2023-12-14. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  6. ^ a b "West Bank Dispatch: Israeli army turns attention to Balata amid continuing killing spree". Mondoweiss. 2022-11-14.
  7. ^ a b "With One Eye on Gaza, Palestinian Authority Cracks Down on West Bank Militants". Haaretz. 20 December 2024.
  8. ^ a b "One dead as Palestinian security, militants clash in West Bank - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012". www.al-monitor.com. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
  9. ^ a b c "Palestinian Authority Mounts Rare, Lethal Raids in West Bank". Bloomberg.com. 2024-12-15. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  10. ^ a b c d e f "Jenin Brigades commander killed as PA forces raid occupied West Bank camp". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  11. ^ a b Nofal, Aziza. "Palestinian Authority refuses to back down in fight with Jenin fighters". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  12. ^ "Iran Update, December 9, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  13. ^ a b c Koningsveld, Akiva Van (2024-12-11). "Israeli security officials fear PA collapse following Assad's downfall". JNS.org. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
  14. ^ a b "The Resurgence of Armed Groups in the West Bank and Their Connections to Gaza". ACLED. 2023-12-14. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  15. ^ Parker, Claire (28 August 2024). "What to know about Palestinian militant groups in the West Bank". The Washington Post.
  16. ^ Erlanger, Steven; Ponomarev, Sergey (2024-07-01). "Palestinian Fighters in West Bank Seek to Emulate Hamas in Gaza". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  17. ^ "Who Governs the Palestinians?". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  18. ^ DC, Arab Center Washington (2024-11-07). "Fending for Themselves: The Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority". Arab Center Washington DC. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  19. ^ "The New Generation of Palestinian Armed Groups: A Paper Tiger?". International Crisis Group. 17 April 2023.
  20. ^ Sawafta, Ali (25 October 2024). "Palestinian Authority treads tightrope in West Bank crackdown on militants". Reuters.
  21. ^ a b "Palestinian security forces clash with militants in West Bank". Reuters. 14 December 2024.
  22. ^ Al Jazeera Staff. "Why is the PA raiding Jenin camp, fighting the Jenin Brigades?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  23. ^ "وسائل إعلام فلسطينية: اشتباكات بين الأجهزة الأمنية ومقاومين بجنين". الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  24. ^ "Iran Update, December 9, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  25. ^ "The battle for Jenin: PIJ commander killed after PA forces, terrorists exchange fire - report". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-12-14. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  26. ^ a b "Palestinian Authority Deploys Security Forces Against Militants in West Bank". The New York Times. 2024-12-14. Archived from the original on 2024-12-14. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  27. ^ "Can the Palestinian Authority take back control of Jenin? - analysis". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-12-14. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  28. ^ a b "UNRWA suspends services in Jenin camp due to ongoing clashes". www.saba.ye. 2024-12-14. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  29. ^ "Palestinian Authority security forces fire at civilians to disperse crowd after Jenin raid". Mada Masr. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  30. ^ "La UNRWA suspende su trabajo en Yenín por los enfrentamientos entre facciones palestinas". www.notimerica.com. 2024-12-15. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  31. ^ "US asks Israel to approve equipment, supplies for PA to fight surge of West Bank terrorism - report". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2024-12-15. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  32. ^ "Palestinian security forces gain ground in Jenin refugee camp amid terror crackdown". Ynet. 2022-12-16.
  33. ^ "Una huelga en Jenin para protestar por el funcionamiento de los servicios de seguridad de la Autoridad Palestina". www.saba.ye (in Spanish). 2024-12-16. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  34. ^ "Jenin Battalion Commander: Palestinian Authority asked to hand over our weapons, rejected all solutions". www.saba.ye. 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  35. ^ admin (2024-12-18). "Jenin Commander: 'We Will Not Disarm under Palestinian Authority Pressure'". Palestine Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-12-18.
  36. ^ a b "Palestinian Authority police kill senior Jenin resistance fighter". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2024-12-16.
  37. ^ "Iran Update, December 10, 2024". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
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