JFNA Update on Israeli Military Operation in Jenin
07 Jul 2023 |
July 5, 2023
Dear Friends,
Following a difficult day in Israel, Israeli troops have withdrawn from Jenin, signaling the end of the two-day IDF operation there. One Israeli soldier was killed as the fighting drew to a close. Also yesterday, nine Israeli civilians were injured during a terror attack in North Tel Aviv.
As we reported on Monday, Israel launched Operation Home and Garden to root out terrorists and terror infrastructure from the Palestinian city of Jenin. That operation has now concluded and all Israeli forces have left the city. During the withdrawal, one Israeli soldier, David Yehuda Yitzchak z”l, was killed by what may have been friendly fire. His funeral will be held today. See details here.
Also yesterday, a Palestinian terrorist rammed a crowded bus stop in North Tel Aviv. The driver then emerged from his vehicle and began stabbing passersby until he was shot and killed by an Israeli civilian who was driving past (see more here). During the attack, nine civilians were injured (see details here), including a young pregnant woman who tragically lost her baby as a result of the attack (see here). The Jewish Agency for Israel’s Fund for the Victims of Terror, supported by Jewish Federations, is in the process of completing the distribution of emergency funds to all the victims of yesterday’s attack (see more here).
Overnight, five rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, sounding sirens in Sderot and other towns. All five were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome system, although some fragments landed on houses in Israel (including next to a toddlers’ swimming pool), causing minor damage. See more here. In response, Israel carried out a limited retaliatory strike (see details here).
At one point during yesterday’s fighting in Jenin, a number of terrorists barricaded themselves inside a mosque. In the ensuing firefight, the mosque was captured by Israeli troops who discovered a network of tunnels that the terrorists had dug under the mosque. The tunnels were also used to store explosives and other weapons (see more here).
Palestinian media is reporting widespread damage to infrastructure in Jenin as a result of Israeli actions. The IDF says it was forced to use heavy equipment on numerous roads and other areas in order to remove a large number of roadside bombs and other terror targets. See here for a description of the town, post-fighting, by an Israeli journalist, and here for reactions of Palestinian residents. Israel has committed to repair essential civilian infrastructure (for water and electricity) damaged by troops due to the fighting, in coordination with the Palestinian Authority.
In what the IDF says is a testament to its high level of intelligence, professionalism and care for human life, despite two days of heavy fighting – that included armored vehicles and aerial attacks – no civilians were killed during the operation. Palestinian sources do not dispute this fact.
The IDF summarized its two-day operation in Jenin with the following results:
- 13 Palestinian terrorists killed.
- 30 terrorists arrested.
- 14 apartments containing terror bases were destroyed.
- 3 terror command and control centers were destroyed. The IDF also discovered a large network of CCTV cameras that had been deployed throughout Jenin and used against IDF troops. See photo here.
- 6 bomb-manufacturing sites were destroyed.
- Over 1,000 explosive devices were captured, including large road-side bombs and other IEDs (see photos here).
- 32 guns (24 M16 rifles + 8 handguns), along with thousands of rounds of ammunition were captured. (See photos of captured weapons here and video here).
- Dozens of kilograms of chemical materials used for bomb-making were discovered.
- Hundreds of thousands of shekels in cash, designated for terror purposes, were confiscated.
- 6 underground tunnels used for hiding terrorists, explosives and ammunition were uncovered and destroyed.
- 2 weapons storage facilities were destroyed.
As always, Jewish Federations of North America are hoping that quiet prevails. We are keeping a close watch on developments and will report as needed.
Rebecca Caspi
Senior Vice President Israel and Overseas
Director General, Israel Office