Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has intensified the aggression against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank after the ceasefire in Gaza came into effect because he wants to continue fighting to remain in power, Leader of Hamas’ political bureau in the occupied West Bank, Zaher Jabarin, has said.
Netanyahu’s only goal is “killing” more Palestinians, Jabarin added.
In an interview with Al Jazeera yesterday evening, Jabarin stressed that the Palestinian people united in Gaza and broke the criminals’ will and will continue the resistance because they have no choice.
“All people who fall under occupation will resist to achieve freedom, and we will resist the occupation even if we have nothing left but stones and we will not [surrender],” he added.
Earlier yesterday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that eight Palestinians had been killed and 35 others had been wounded in the Israeli aggression on Jenin and its camp, north of the occupied West Bank.
Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported that the occupation army had asked the Palestinian Authority to withdraw its security forces from the area before storming it.
Clashes continued on Tuesday between the Jenin Battalion affiliated with the Islamic Jihad movement and the Israeli occupation forces.
The Jenin Battalion stressed in a statement that “the resistance will not retreat in defending its land and its people.”
The Israeli aggression against Jenin comes within a larger military escalation in the occupied West Bank.
On 14 December, the Palestinian Authority Security Forces launched a military operation in the Jenin refugee camp, under the pretext of combating “outlaws”, however, Palestinian resistance factions accused the PA of pursuing resistance fighters and acting on behalf of the Israeli occupation army.
READ: Gaza’s unbreakable resistance: A historical perspective on the war and its aftermath