Israeli forces have performed drone airstrikes and engaged in main gun battles within the Jenin refugee camp within the West Bank.
Several suspected Hamas fighters have been killed, in what the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) mentioned was an operation to find improvised explosive gadgets planted by terrorists.
It comes only a day after a Sky News crew travelled to Jenin, the place they met a Hamas fighter who vowed they’d not cease their violence – and mentioned they totally supported the 7 October assaults.
The battle in Gaza has come to the West Bank, and Jenin refugee camp is on the centre of it. The IDF is conducting nearly day by day raids there, clashing with newly emboldened militants who say they’re stronger and higher organised than ever.
Everywhere you go, there are posters celebrating the fighters. Many within the camp view them as heroes defending their very own land, not terrorists killing civilians.
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‘Everyone was proud and I’m proud’
On the outskirts of the camp is what locals name the graveyard of martyrs – residence to many who died attempting to finish Israeli occupation.
It’s the place we meet a Hamas fighter, carrying a rifle, sporting a masks, however brazenly defending the assaults of seven October.
”Everyone was proud and I’m proud,” he tells me. “We really feel that it is step one in the best way of liberating our nation and the blood of our youngsters will not be wasted…
“I see it from my side, as a Palestinian. It was supposed to happen a long time before.”
As somebody who has hung out within the Forensic Centre in Tel Aviv, seeing photos of torture and excessive brutality, it’s each stunning and deeply unsettling to listen to.
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Fighters emboldened by battle
Like the remainder of the world it appears, he too was not anticipating the assaults – however happy they passed off.
“I was surprised, everybody was. No one can imagine or expect that we will reach a point that we are attacking, not only fighting back and defending.”
He has been emboldened by the previous month – made extra defiant by the photographs of civilians dying in Gaza – and says he is prepared to hold out assaults himself, prepared to sacrifice his personal life for the trigger.
The fighter says “freedom” is his final purpose and he needs settlers faraway from Israel, “to kick them out of this country”.
Militant denies 7 October murders have been carried out by Hamas
Despite the clear proof that civilians have been killed within the assaults one month in the past, he denies these murders have been carried out by Hamas – suggesting as an alternative that the IDF did it. Others have prompt it was different militant teams there.
Everyone we converse to insists Hamas doesn’t assist the homicide of civilians, and protects girls and kids.
It is as an alternative, they consider, a battle with the army. But it’s indeniable that civilians have been killed by militants, a lot of whom slaughtered individuals in their very own houses – their final terrified moments captured on cameras.
This is a group that for many years has felt marginalised, alienated and disadvantaged.
“This is our country, our home, our land,” the fighter declares. “If you read the history, we’ve been here 70 or 80 years.”
He exhibits us the al Ansar Mosque. It is now all however rubble, destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. The IDF mentioned members of Hamas have been working a “terror route” beneath it and planning an “imminent terror attack”.
To my shock he admits it was their command centre, taking us to the world the place they dug a tunnel to flee.
Camp erupts into violence
The day after, the camp erupted in a number of the worst violence it is seen for the reason that battle started. The IDF carried out a number of airstrikes and engaged in heavy clashes.
In an announcement, the IDF mentioned it “engaged and killed an armed terrorist cell which endangered the soldiers in the area” – and positioned and destroyed an underground tunnel shaft containing ready-to-use explosive gadgets, in addition to ammunition and army tools.
It sees the refugee camp as a nest of terrorism and reportedly dropped leaflets over that learn: “The IDF remains here and will return again and again until terrorism is completely eradicated. Stay away from terrorism, live in peace.”
But peace feels a really, very good distance off.
Source: information.sky.com”