For more than a week, the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank has been the site of intense fighting between Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces and militant groups aligned with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
🎥| Elite armed forces of the Palestinian Authority (PA) equipped with sniper rifles & armored jeeps, doing Israel’s dirty work in Jenin—they operate with the official consent of Israel. pic.twitter.com/hFgOkW2vB4
— Arya – آریا (@AryJeay) December 9, 2024
The PA has sealed off the entrances to the camp, trapping thousands of residents inside. Blocked streets have prevented paramedics from entering, and water and electricity have been cut off.
Jenin In Solidarity with the Resisters
Residents of Jenin camp organized a protest in the Jenin camp square after a meeting in the Jenin camp social club, which came in protest against the policy of cutting off electricity and water to Jenin camp and closing all its entrances for… pic.twitter.com/jItXk7bjQG— Free Palestine TV (@TVFreePalestine) December 22, 2024
Daily gun battles between the PA and militant groups have left several people dead. Among the casualties are members of the PA security forces, a local militant leader, and three teenagers, one as young as 14. Each side has blamed the other for civilian deaths.
⚡️🇵🇸 US-funded/trained Palestinian Authority Forces assassinated commander of the Al-Quds Brigades in Jenin, Yazid Ga’isa, who was wanted by the Israeli Shin Bet for 4 years. https://t.co/m0ETbBF303 pic.twitter.com/bEKhW9CYEL
— MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) December 14, 2024
🚨🇮🇱🇵🇸 TRAITOROUS Palestinian Authority Security Forces EXECUTED a young man in Jenin on behalf of ISRAEL! pic.twitter.com/LOA6FjTwRY
— The Saviour (@stairwayto3dom) December 9, 2024
The militants, operating under the “Jenin Battalion,” accuse the PA of working with Israel and say they are defending the camp. The PA claims these groups have “hijacked” the area and are disrupting security.
The PA’s operation is seen as an attempt to prove its ability to maintain order in the West Bank amid discussions of its potential leadership in Gaza. Meanwhile, militant groups in Jenin receive support from Iran, which has sought to expand its influence in the region.