Jenin, Palestine: An ongoing catastrophe

Once again, the world has witnessed the escalation of violence, bombing, destruction and deaths perpetrated by the terrorist state of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories. This time it was against Jenin, one of the oldest Palestinian cities and one which is mentioned in the Old Testament.

One of the largest Palestinian refugee camps is in Jenin, established by the UN in 1953 to house Palestinians expelled during the Nakba by Zionist militias. More than 24,000 expropriated Palestinians live in the camp, surviving and resisting the Israeli siege.

Under the frayed pretext of “disarming terrorists”, Israel directed an extensive military offensive into the Jenin refugee camp, mobilising more than 1,000 troops. This operation included a ground incursion that began on Monday 3 July.

During the two-day attack, Israel used up its entire war arsenal (except nuclear warheads), including modern US-supplied warplanes, against unarmed Palestinian civilians living below the poverty line. The bombings caused serious damage to Jenin’s infrastructure, destroying homes, schools, hospitals, mosques and streets in the refugee camp.

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The Israeli military once again directed its attacks against children, women and the elderly in the refugee camp, to inflict as many deaths and injuries as possible. To achieve such a goal, Israeli occupation forces blocked ambulance access to victims, preventing first aid provision. In addition, they occupied the entrances of hospitals to prevent the rescue of the wounded.

What happened in Jenin on the part of Israel was, once again, a massacre, as there is no balance of forces to call the situation a ‘war’ or a ‘conflict’ in occupied Palestine. Israel is an enclave with advanced military technology, backed and protected by the United States, which annually directs more than $5 billion in unconditional military aid. Moreover, Israel is protected from any accountability for its crimes at the UN Security Council.

The toll of this massacre resulted in the martyrdom of 12 Palestinians, including four children, as well over 100 wounded and hundreds of families being forced to leave their homes, thus perpetuating an ongoing Nakba process which began in 1948.

From Ukraine alone, Israel has brought in more than 100,000 Jewish settlers, who join existing terrorist groups to harass, assault and expel Palestinian families from their homes.

It is unfortunate, but predictable, that the hegemonic media and its “commentators”, including individuals with Zionist-aligned interests, turned their attention to Jenin to claim that Israel was only reacting to the alleged threats and danger of attacks by the “Palestinian terrorists” who were hiding in the refugee camp. This biased narrative aims to justify the aggressive Israeli actions and divert attention from the true human impact and injustices occurring in the region.

These attempts to distort reality are part of the Zionist settler project, seeking to manipulate information and associate Palestinians with terrorism, intending to legitimise the occupation of Palestinian land by European Jews. However, it is evident that Israel is losing its credibility and people are increasingly questioning its version of events and the fake news it uses to cover up its colonial and racist violence in Palestine. The truth is becoming increasingly evident to the world and resistance against the illegal occupation continues to strengthen.

READ: UN official: Israel turning Palestinian territories into ‘open-air prison’

The Israeli apartheid regime, based on Jewish supremacy, denies basic civil rights to millions of Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank, besieged Gaza Strip, and territories assigned to Israel in 1948. This denial of rights is illegitimately justified under the pretext of “Israel’s security.” This colonialist policy is underpinned by a smokescreen that promotes segregation at various levels, regardless of the location of individuals, simply based on their identity as Arab-Palestinians and non-Jews.

The heinous attack on Jenin once again demonstrates the failure of Israel in the face of the Palestinian resistance. Clearly, Israel is unlikely to emerge victorious in further confrontations with Palestinians. The tenacity and determination of the Palestinian resistance continue to challenge Israel’s oppressive policies and to reveal the vulnerability of its project of occupation and oppression.

Israel’s growing unpopularity around the world is undeniable. This sentiment is amplified by the internal crises that have intensified with the formation of a far-right government, led by corrupt war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu and fascist ministers. Major cities around the world have witnessed demonstrations of support for the Palestinian cause and a clear repudiation of the actions of the terrorist state of Israel and the fascist Zionist regime that governs it. These demonstrations reflect the growing global awareness of human rights violations and the systematic oppression faced by the Palestinian people.

READ: Israel government ‘most extreme’ ever seen, says Joe Biden

The war crimes, crimes against humanity and criminal attacks committed by Israel in Gaza, Jerusalem, Hebron and across the occupied territories are being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Moreover, the decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council to open an investigation into Israeli abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories further reinforces this issue.

Another important aspect that contributes to the strengthening of Palestinian resistance forces, led by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), are the changes in regional geopolitics, such as the resumption of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, mediated by China. These changes have resulted in significant advances, such as the end of the war in Yemen and Syria’s return to the Arab League, and the re-establishment of relations with several countries in the region.

Israel is aware that it faces difficulties in winning new confrontations against Palestinian resistance forces, regardless of the terrain. Meanwhile, the resistance continues to expand throughout the Palestinian territories, including in the West Bank and areas assigned to Israel in 1948. Hamas emerges as one of the most important Palestinian political forces, with the potential to win in the upcoming Palestinian elections.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.