The Israeli government informed the US of its plan to enter Jenin, a senior diplomatic source said on Monday.
Jerusalem told Washington about 10 days ago that it plans to try to root out terrorism from the West Bank city, without saying when it would do so or providing further specific details, the Israeli source said.
“We said that security officials think that we cannot avoid entering Jenin, though we had not yet made an exact decision of how and when we would do it,” the source stated. “We said we would enter for a focused action when we have enough intelligence.”
American interlocutors understood the necessity of the actions, according to the source, who compared it to the US Army fighting ISIS in Iraq or Syria: “Sometimes, you know you can’t wait.”
Israel reportedly put off the action for two years
The source argued that Israel put off the action for two years, but it became necessary: “We tried to avoid it and made an effort to stop the terrorist cells when they got out of the [Jenin refugee] camp. We hoped the Palestinian Authority would take responsibility, but they didn’t.”
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Jenin, in the West Bank July 3, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/MOHAMAD TOROKMAN)“There was no avoiding a more focused operation,” he stated.
“What the Americans care about is stability and de-escalation, and they know, like we do, that the terrorists want to destabilize and escalate,” he stated.
The IDF launched its largest operation in Jenin since the Second Intifada overnight Sunday, with airstrikes and infantry in the northern Samaria city. The Palestinian Authority lost security control of Jenin over the past six months, and the city turned into a hub for many recent terrorist attacks. As of Monday morning, the IDF killed seven suspected Palestinian terrorists and wounded dozens.
Comments are closed.