In Jenin, in the north of the occupied West Bank, at least three Palestinians were killed and around thirty injured during an Israeli operation that triggered violent clashes, including rocket fire from a helicopter. According to an AFP photographer on the scene, the clashes in the Jenin Palestinian refugee camp were extremely intense, and missile fire from a helicopter was reported, something that had not occurred for years.
For its part, the Israeli army said it carried out a raid to arrest “wanted suspects,” and during the operation there was an “intense firefight” between its forces and gunmen. According to a military statement, army helicopters fired towards the gunmen to help extract the soldiers from the area. Palestinian sources indicated that this was the first time a helicopter had launched missiles in Jenin since the end of the second intifada in 2005.
The Israeli army reported that one of its military vehicles was damaged by one of the numerous explosive devices launched at its soldiers. In response, the military used live fire. Palestinian resistance was so intense that, according to the AFP photographer, one vehicle and several soldiers were trapped under heavy fire.
The fatalities were identified as 15-year-old Ahmed Saqer, 21-year-old Khaled Assassa, and 29-year-old Qassam Abu Saria, while 31 others were wounded, some of them by live fire, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The deputy governor of Jenin province, Kamal Abu al-Rub, reported that the Israeli army entered the Palestinian refugee camp at around 4:00 a.m. on Monday.
Jenin is a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups, and violent incidents often occur with Israeli forces, who conduct numerous raids in the area. So far this year, at least 162 Palestinians, 21 Israelis, one Ukrainian, and one Italian have lost their lives in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to an AFP tally based on official sources on both sides. These figures include both Palestinian fighters and civilians, including children, and on the Israeli side, a majority of civilians, including minors, and three members of the Arab minority.