The spokesperson for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's (PIJ) al-Quds Brigades, Abu Hamza, released a statement via his Telegram channel on Thursday, where he announced the brigades' responsibility for a major operation in the West Bank city of Jenin. 

Al-Quds Brigades - Jenin Brigade engaged Israeli occupation forces that had invaded the city for more than eight consecutive hours, Abu Hamza explained. 

In the context of the defense against invading forces, the brigade detonated at least six improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and directly confronted occupation forces and military rescue teams that arrived at the scene of the ambushes. 

The brigade had detonated two IEDs into two Israeli military vehicles in the Sahel Marj Bin Aamer area in northern Jenin, the operations left one Israeli officer killed and 16 others wounded, according to Israeli authorities. 

Jenin fighters shock Israeli military

Abu Hamza dubbed the event "Operation Fury of Jenin 2," a continuation of a large-scale confrontation of Israeli occupation forces in the city that occurred in July last year. 

The operations which extended into early Thursday morning, destroyed an Israeli Panther armored personnel carrier (APC) in an agricultural area. Notably, an Israeli military-grade bulldozer equipped with anti-mine tools had already passed over the ambush designated point, failing to disable the IEDs which were reportedly buried at 1 to 1.5 meters depth. 

In the meantime the Israeli APC carrying several soldiers had arrived at the ambush point, where an IED blew up and destroyed the vehicle, forcing soldiers to step out of the vehicle, according to Israeli media reports. 

As the officers and soldiers gathered outside the armored vehicle, including those who had arrived from a different unit, another IED was detonated instantly killing the officer of a sniper squad commander in the 900th Kfir Brigade’s Haruv reconnaissance unit. 16 others were injured, many of which were severely injured and transported by rescue helicopters to nearby hospitals. 

Read more: IOF faces steep manpower shortage, transfers soldiers across units

West Bank resilient in the face of Israeli maximum pressure policy

The Jenin Brigade and other Resistance factions across the occupied West Bank have confronted near-daily incursions into their cities and towns, coming under heavy attacks by occupation forces.

Despite the fact that several of the Brigade's leaders and fighters have been martyred in a short period of time, al-Quds Brigades' Jenin formation still managed to find a way to deal the Israeli military one of its heaviest casualty toll in the West Bank since October 7, 2023. 

In this context, Abu Hamza said, "In light of the simultaneous and escalating action in all arenas and axes of the confrontation," the Brigades confirmed their "steadfastness and have moved forward in the jihad, the struggle in defense of our legitimate right to achieve the goals of our oppressed (Palestinian) people and their just Resistance."

He promised that Resistance fighters would continue to fight the Israeli occupation until it is ended and dealt a defeat in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Read more: Life in the West Bank post October 7: Al Mayadeen Exclusive