Al-Akhbar Lebanese newspaper
translated by Areej Fatima Al-Husseini
In the city of Jenin and its camp, it is no longer possible for the Israeli enemy to suppress the expansion of the resistance in terms of method, quantity, and equipment, using the same old tools, after it found itself facing an escalating threat emerging from the camp particularly.
This threat has rapidly become the focal point of resistance command in the West Bank, as well as a safe haven for executors of self-sacrifice operations and those wanted by the occupation security services.
In addition, except for the Gaza Strip, this camp has become the sole location in the West Bank, and the entire Palestinian territories, which has become a “liberated” area in the calculations of both resistance fighters and the Israeli enemy. Any entry to this region requires a major incursion that resembles a small invasion and is surrounded by great dangers.
Decision Made: Jenin Under Attack
The recent developments in this region and surrounding areas triggered a red alert for Israeli security services, specifically the Shin Bet, resulting in an appeal to the political authority urging that a large-scale military campaign in the northern West Bank commence immediately.
However, the Israeli army command opposed the “Shin Bet” suggestion, believing that there was no need to undertake a large-scale operation that may result in major safety hazards and deaths.
Video: The moment an Israeli airstrike struck a location near the Al-Ansar mosque in Jenin camp, this evening. pic.twitter.com/uErKxA4c8I
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 3, 2023
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Yoav Gallant argued that the entity’s political circumstances, both internally due to the intensifying political conflict and externally due to the unstable relationship with the US, do not allow for the launch of a broad operation in the West Bank and would put the Tel Aviv government under intense pressure.
However, after a debate between Israeli political and security authorities, following the recent “ambush” set by the “Quds Brigades against occupation forces in the Jenin camp, and following the self-sacrifice operation in the Eli settlement, which resulted in the murder of four settlers, it was agreed to launch a campaign of “intensive measures” in the camp specifically, under the name “Home and Garden.” This campaign is superior to the “Breaking the Waves” campaign, which attempted to obstruct resistance in the West Bank, and is not comparable to Operation Defensive Wall executed during the second Intifada in 2002.
While the ongoing operation does not appear to be a comprehensive military campaign, this does not mean that it will end within hours. Rather, it will take at least two days, depending on field developments and political pressure.
It’s conceivable that what happened yesterday was merely the first step, implying that there are second, third, and possibly more stages in which the nature of goals and work methods differ. These stages may be separated by time, especially if the aggression would be of a lengthy implementation and becomes a regular work policy for a certain period, as with the “Breaking the Waves.”
For the time being, the utilization of drones and helicopters in the northern West Bank will not be outlawed by the enemy but will become a permanent option for carrying out assassinations, thwarting operations, or destroying installations.
“The clashes around the mosque extended for 5 hours until
the resistance fighters succeeded in fleeing through a tunnel.”
IOF Launch Operation ‘Home and Garden’
Operation ‘Home and Garden’ was initiated with an air attack on headquarters where the resistance fighters gather in the Jenin camp. Then, as per the enemy, Israeli soldiers stormed the camp and got control of buildings used by resistance fighters to gather inside, as well as manufacturing, and storing weapons and explosives.
The occupation forces were trying to gather intelligence information and conduct field investigations with detainees seeking to reach additional resistance fighters, as well as depots and gathering facilities.
Meanwhile, the enemy’s bulldozers entered the side neighborhoods of the camp and demolished some walls and dug roads to prevent the soldiers from exploding, and to prevent the implantation of new ones.
Israeli Debate on ‘Home and Garden’
During that night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the operation will last as long as needed. “In recent months, Jenin has become a haven for terror. We are not ready to accept this, so we are ending it. Terrorists have nowhere to hide. Not in Gaza, the West Bank, or elsewhere”, he added.
لحظة إلقاء قنبلة محلية الصنع صوب آلية عسكرية تابعة للاحتلال أمام المستشفى الحكومي في جنين pic.twitter.com/nUeYYNmfrm
— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) July 3, 2023
Nevertheless, Yossi Yehoshua, the military correspondent for “Yedioth Ahronoth,” pointed out that “the pre-emptive strike in Jenin wasn’t successful as much as it had been intimidated and promoted,” adding that “one military operation in Jenin is not enough to eliminate the resistance there,” and that “a series of offensive operations must be launched.”
He also stressed the importance of “not bragging about the army’s achievements in Jenin, and ending the operation as soon as possible, because the next few hours are very crucial.”
In the same vein, a study released in conjunction with the operation by the Institute for National Security Studies suggested that the operation’s title should not be “Restoring Deterrence” since “Restoring Deterrence is not a practical goal, as it is not measurable.”
According to the report, “It is possible that the military operation in Jenin will lead to a security improvement on the tactical level, but it is not guaranteed that it will last for a long time.”
