Israel: Jenin has become a 'terrorist paradise', we will change the equation

Following the Israeli army's attack on the Jenin camp, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, held a meeting on Monday evening, July 2, with Yoav Gallant, the Minister of Defense, and the heads of the Israeli army and Shin Bet to discuss the operation in Jenin. He referred to this operation as a 'game changer against terrorism.' Netanyahu noted that Israeli forces killed several terrorists in this operation, arrested others, and discovered and destroyed a collection of weapons and bomb-making facilities, stating: 'Jenin has become a paradise for terrorism in recent months, and we will put an end to it.' He emphasized that although these forces operate in a densely populated area, 'they do so with minimal harm to civilians.' Netanyahu stressed that this operation would 'change the equation against terrorism' and compared it to recent operations against Islamic Jihad in Gaza and the Guardian of the Walls operation in 2021 against Gaza fighters. Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Minister of Defense, also stated on Monday evening, July 2, that 'those who seek to harm the State of Israel, its citizens, and its soldiers will have no safe place, neither in Gaza, nor in Nablus, and now everyone knows that there is no such place in Jenin either.' Gallant added, 'In the past year, the residents of Jenin have been held hostage by terrorists; currently, thousands of people who want a quiet life have left this city, and we will ensure that peace is restored to the region.' He also mentioned, 'Those who seek to harm Israel will have no safe place, even in Jenin.' Additionally, Eli Cohen, in a meeting with reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, 'After a year in which dozens of Israelis were killed in criminal attacks, we decided to attack the nests of terrorism in Jenin.' The Israeli Foreign Minister added, 'We are not fighting the Palestinians, but rather the terrorist organizations that are financially and operationally supported by the Islamic Republic, whose goal is to kill Jews and destabilize the region.' In this context, Yehuda Fox, the head of the Central Command of the Israeli army, stated that the operation in the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank 'will not be a one-time campaign.' Fox said, 'This is a series of operations; just as we were here a week and two weeks ago, we intend to complete this operation and return in a few days or a week and not allow this city to become a paradise of terror.' The Israeli army also announced that during the operation on Monday in Jenin, 'defensive forces identified weapons storage sites, explosive laboratories, and other terrorist infrastructures,' 'engaged with armed Palestinians, and conducted airstrikes against various targets in Jenin.' The Israeli army stated that from the early hours of Monday, military forces interrogated over 100 Palestinian suspects. In this operation, more than 300 explosive devices were also discovered and destroyed by military forces. The army also reported that about 20 drone strikes were carried out across the city and the Jenin refugee camp. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed that at least eight people were killed in Jenin and over 50 were injured.