IDF ends Jenin operation

BY DAVID SAFFER

Israel Defence Forces have destroyed terrorist command and control centres in Jenin during a two-day counterterrorism operation this week in Judea and Samaria.

In the largest IDF offensive in 20 years, Operation House and Garden began in the early hours of Monday based on intelligence of the Shin Bet.

Troops confiscated thousands of explosive devices. They also demolished dozens of weapon manufacturing sites, hideouts and laboratories for the production of explosives.

Two operational rooms used by terrorists were dismantled according to reports.

The IDF announced that Sgt.

David Yehuda Yitzhak, 23, from Beit El, was critically wounded during the withdrawal from Jenin. He was airlifted to hospital but died from his injuries.

An elite Egoz commando, Yitzhak studied at a Jerusalem yeshiva. His funeral took place at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem yesterday.

The eldest son of Moshe and Emouna Yitzhak, he had six siblings.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli ministers sent condolences to the family.

Netanyahu warned that the “extensive operation” in Jenin would not be a “one-off”.

Defence Minister Yaov Gallant said that Jenin was no longer a ‘terror factory’.

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Militants fired five rockets from Gaza at southern Israel after IDF forces began withdrawing from Jenin. All were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system.

The IDF targeted underground Hamas facilities in response.

Security forces reported 12 terrorists were killed and over 100 arrests made. No civilians were killed according to the IDF. A reported 3,000 Palestinian residents sought safety following IDF warnings.

Gallant overviewed the operation. He said: “Over the past two years, Jenin has become a ‘production site’ for terrorism. As a result of (our activities over) the past two days, this has come to an end.”

He added: “Anyone who attempts to harm Israeli citizens, will pay a heavy price. We will reach each and everyone who threatens our citizens, and once we do, we will bring them to justice.”

In the midst of the Jenin hostilities seven people were wounded, four seriously, in a stabbing and car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. One person remains critical in hospital.

A civilian neutralised the terrorist. The Palestinian assailant was named Abed al-Wahab Khalaila, 20, of as-Samu. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad praised the attack.

Netanyahu was updated about the incident and said it would not stop Israel fighting terrorism.

He noted: “This was a heinous terrorist attack that was stopped due to the intervention of an armed civilian. Without this intervention, this terrorist attack could have claimed many lives. Whoever thinks that such an attack will deter us from continuing our fight against terrorism is mistaken. He is simply unfamiliar with the spirit of the State of Israel, our government, our citizens and our soldiers. We will continue as long as necessary to uproot terrorism.”

Security footage shows the terrorist crashing his car into a bus stop then running at pedestrians with a knife before being shot and disarmed by a civilian. The wounded were transported to Sourasky

Medical Centre in Tel Aviv, Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva and Meir Medical Centre in Kfar Saba.

Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai praised the civilian for thwarting the attack with great courage and preventing a massacre.

Shabtai called on the public to be vigilant. He said: “We anticipated that as a result of the recent events in Judea and Samaria, motivation and potential for attacks would increase,”.

Tel Aviv District Police Commander Superintendent Ami Eshed confirmed the attacker acted alone.

Israel made the US aware of the 48-hour operation, one of the largest in 20 years in advance as terrorists were using Jenin as a safe haven.

Netanyahu said on Monday night that in recent months Jenin had become a “city of refuge for terrorism” and Israel was “not prepared to accept this”.

He explained. “Our forces are taking strong and determined action in Jenin. Commando Brigade soldiers, the Border Police, special forces, the Air Force and others are now acting in the heart of the Jenin refugee camp. They are targeting and arresting terrorists, and destroying command centres and laboratories.”

Netanyahu added: “There are no sanctuaries for terrorists, not in Gaza, not in Judea and Samaria, not anywhere. We are operating against the terrorists while making a maximum effort to avoid harming non-combatants. We are taking the initiative and using the element of surprise. We are changing and being innovative. We are determining a new equation against terrorism, constantly. Our guiding principle is simple: Whoever murders Israelis, whoever conspires to murder us, will be in either jail or the grave.”

Opposition leaders backed the military operation.

Yair Lapid said: “This is a justified and necessary operation, one that was launched and aided by quality, precise intelligence about the terrorist infrastructure in Jenin and Iranian involvement in funding and aiding terrorism.

“The goal of this operation is not to harm and weaken the Palestinian Authority even further. The current Prime Minister, as I did before him, has said repeatedly that Israel has no interest in bringing down the Palestinian Authority, but in strengthening it. But if the Palestinian Authority does not want us to act in its territory, it must act forcefully to prevent terror organisation in the city.

“I call on the international community: Before you break out in the automatic chorus of denunciations, look at the 28 terror victims in recent months. The State of Israel will not stand by while our children are being murdered.”

The White House acknowledged Israel’s “right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also supported Israel’s right to defend itself in parliament and condemned “terrorist attacks”. Sunak called for restraint and protection of civilians.

The operation included air strikes followed by ground troops to eliminate Jenin of terrorist activity.

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen added: “We are not fighting against the Palestinians, we are fighting the terror organisations financed and directed by Iran for the purpose of killing Israelis and destabilising the region.”

IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari added that the military had prepared for months to address issues of the Jenin refugee camp.

Bicom noted that the government considers the operation a short term success against ongoing Palestinian terrorism. Limited operations are anticipated in the coming weeks despite the operations of terror factions.

The military operation came after Palestinian terror attacks against Israelis killed 28 people according to the IDF. There had also been 290 terror attacks from the region since June 2022.