Calls for a large-scale military campaign rise after failed Jenin raid
5 Min Read
A report by Al-Monitor sheds light on fears within the Israeli security establishment of the continuous progression of Resistance fighters in the West Bank, as occupation officials call for a large-scale military campaign to deter Palestinians.
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An explosive device detonates next to an Israeli armored vehicle after the Israeli occupation forces raided Jenin in the occupied West Bank, Palestine, June 19 2023. (AFP)
"Israel" fears chaos in the occupied West Bank as the balance of power shifts towards the Palestinian Resistance, exemplified by the successful June 19 ambush on intruding Israeli occupation forces in Jenin.
A report by Al-Monitor highlights the concerns of senior Israeli officials regarding the failures of Israeli military campaigns in the West Bank, as they call for the use of tanks and aircraft in the next military campaign in the West Bank.
A senior Israeli military source told the news website that "deluxe operations are over," following the Israeli security establishment's failure in Jenin. The official spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity saying that "Violence is increasing and spilling over from Nablus and Jenin to other places. There may be no escaping a larger scale military operation in northern Samaria [the West Bank]."
Occupation forces have long been accustomed to ravaging cities and camps in the occupied West Bank, capitalizing on their superior military equipment and intelligence capabilities. However, the recent introduction of improved locally produced explosives, reportedly weighing approximately 40 kg, proved to be effective in disabling Israeli armored vehicles. This breakthrough allowed the Resistance fighters to strategically target ground troops. The events that unfolded on June 19 resulted in a minimum of seven confirmed injuries, as acknowledged by occupation authorities. The ambushed troops even had to call in Apache helicopters to ensure their escape from the Resistance's gunfire, marking an event that has not occurred in the West Bank for the past 20 years.
"We will eventually have to do something more dramatic here," the source told Al-Monitor. "We cannot leave a vacuum in northern Samaria [West Bank], the security apparatuses of the Palestinian Authority no longer exist here, the Israel Defense Forces will have to take their place."
According to the news website, settlers headed by Yossi Dagan, the chief of the so-called Samaria local council, have been pushing the IOF to execute an extensive military campaign against the Resistance in the West Bank, as their calls have now been supported by right-wing ministers and officials such as Bezalel Smotrich, who has made several statements in support of the complete de-facto annexation of the West Bank.
On Monday Smortrich tweeted, "The time has come to replace the tweezers activity with a broad operation to eradicate the nests of terrorism in northern Samaria and to restore deterrence and security in the region. The time has come to bring in air forces and armor and protect the lives of our warriors. I will demand an urgent meeting of the cabinet on the matter."
מחזק את ידי לוחמינו שפועלים בשעה זו בג'נין תחת אש כבדה ומתפלל לשלומם והצלחתם. הגיע העת להחליף את פעילות הפינצטה במבצע רחב למיגור קיני הטרור בצפון השומרון ולהשבת ההרתעה והביטחון באזור. הגיע העת להכניס כוחות אוויר ושיריון ולשמור על חיי לוחמינו. אדרוש כינוס דחוף של הקבינט בעניין.
— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) June 19, 2023
The current leadership, including Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, have resisted this pressure thus far, supported by the military's opposition to such a campaign. However, their resistance is weakening, and Netanyahu is considering the possibility of a large-scale operation in the northern West Bank to divert attention from anti-government protests and satisfy hard-liners in his government who advocate for controversial judicial reforms.
While the army and Shin Bet (Shabak) have been opposed to such a campaign, the Shin Bet is becoming more inclined towards taking action due to the increasing sophistication and weight of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) manufactured by Palestinians, according to Al-Monitor.
"This would be a very significant development in terms of public perception," an Israeli security source told Al-Monitor. "When fighter planes and tanks appear, they spell war, a clear absence of governance, and they also place the population in a different, more negative mode."
The website also claims that the era of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has already come to an end, as the PA's security forces no longer have control over key areas such as Jenin. It added that the Palestinian President seems to be "indifferent or unable to deal" with the rise of Resistance's activities in the West Bank, and also highlighted the increasing popularity of Hamas in the West Bank, claiming that it has overtaken that of Abbas.
"The main problem is that Fatah is perceived as a corrupt organization by many Palestinians, and it is divided into many groups, while Hamas is united. If elections are held here at some point, the results will be a sweeping victory for Hamas," the senior Israeli security source told Al-Monitor.
On June 19, as the Israeli security campaign was thwarted in Jenin, Ismail Haniyeh the head of Hamas' Political Bureau met with several top Iranian officials in Tehran. To the Israeli source that spoke to Al-Monitor, this shows that "Iran is constantly increasing its effort to wage a war of attrition against us [Israel] in every way, by any means and with every possible proxy."
Interestingly, the report added, "The only place in the Middle East where Sunnis and Shiites are united around some cause is the arena of terrorism against Israel, and it cannot be ignored."
