Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Gevorg Mirzayan
[REGNUM] “We are alarmed by the scale of the air and ground operations being carried out in Jenin in the occupied West Bank and the airstrikes against a densely populated refugee camp,” Vanessa Huguenin , a spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said in a June 4 statement to TASS .
| The poor darling. How dreadful for her. |
So she commented on the course of the operation of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which is already being called the largest action of Israeli troops in the West Bank over the past 20 years.
Hugenin cites data from the Arab side: the Ministry of Health of the Palestinian Authority reports the death of ten people,
| ...by this morning it was thirteen. It’s one of those FAFO thingies... |
including three children. "At least 100 people were injured, 20 of them are reported to be in critical condition,"
[What were the numbers for Chicago?]
the spokeswoman for the United Nations Humanitarian Office said.
The Israeli side emphasizes that the targets of the counter-terrorist operation in Jenin were exclusively objects of Islamist groups. The city in the north of the West Bank "has become a place where terrorists feel safe," Maria Mikhelson, head of the IDF's European press service, told RIA Novosti . “All roads lead to Jenin. Money from Iran and Gaza to finance terrorism flows into Jenin, Mikhelson said. “Stolen weapons, including M16 rifles and Kalashnikovs, are also being diverted to Jenin .” According to the Israeli side, about fifty attacks were planned from Jenin over the past year.
"Restoration of Israeli containment" - as the army operation in Jenin was officially designated - began on the night of July 3. In total, the Israeli military designated several dozen targets, some of which were hit by drones, and some were attacked by ground forces.
“In recent months, Jenin has become a real safe haven for terrorists. And there should not be such shelters, ” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking on the territory of the US Embassy.
At this time, the Palestinian side reported ten dead civilians, hundreds of wounded and thousands of those who were forced to flee their homes, fearing the arrival of the Israeli military. The Red Crescent Organization announced the evacuation of hundreds of families from the refugee camp. The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has cut off all contact with Israel, the Wafa news agency reported.
The head of the autonomy, Mahmoud Abbas,
| ...it’s not an autonomy, merely an authority... |
in a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin on July 3, spoke about the resumption of the format of the "Middle East Quartet" (Russia-UN-US-EU) in connection with the actions of the Israeli army. Abbas's previous call to Moscow, we note, took place quite recently - on July 1, the Palestinian leader fully supported the actions of the Russian authorities to suppress the military rebellion.
| I can’t imagine Israel is interested in wasting time again on something that failed so thoroughly the first time. |
Now the Palestinian leader is more concerned about the situation "at home". Abbas ordered to convene an emergency meeting the other day with the participation of all Palestinian groups to counter Israel, Abdel Hafiz Nofal, the Palestinian ambassador in Moscow, said on July 4.
From Israel's point of view, now "the operation is close to achieving its goals," the head of the country's National Security Council, Tzachi Khanegbi , announced on July 4 . The IDF has about ten targets left in the Palestinian refugee camp adjacent to Jenin, which the military intends to search in the coming hours, the press service of the Israeli army said.
“The resistance of the armed militants tonight was low, they were running away from the targets we were getting to,” TASS quoted Daniel Hagari, head of the army press center, as saying . At the same time, at the same time, Minister of Defense Yoav Galant, at a meeting with the generals, said: it is necessary to ensure the freedom of action of the troops on the ground.
FROM "WALL" TO "HOUSE"
The current IDF operation, dubbed "Operation Frontage House," has two important differences from the military operations that accompanied the now-familiar reports that "the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has escalated again."
Firstly, the Israeli army launched an operation not against Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip (which is controlled by the Hamas group, which does not recognize Israel's right to exist), but against the West Bank, where the Fatah group, led by Abbas, rules, sort of like leading with Tel Aviv dialogue.
| True, except that the Palestinian Authority (which we are supposed to pretend is not just Fatah) has no control over Jenin and its “refugee camp” neighbourhood. |
Secondly, this is not just some kind of raid, but a large-scale military operation involving parts of the ground forces, aviation, and special services.
| Small scale military op, I’d think. Especially compared to the Russian conquest of the Ukraine... |
Therefore, the current events are compared with the “Defensive Wall” operation twenty years ago - the IDF led it in the West Bank against Fatah (which was then led by Yasser Arafat ).
| Yasser Arafat was known for his red binder and an unhealthy fondness for his personal guards. Nobody knows what happened to the former, but the latter may have accidentally been the cause of his death. |
However, Israel's then tough response to a series of terrorist attacks at the height of the second Palestinian intifada was both longer and bloodier - the operation went on for a month and a half and claimed the lives of almost 500 Palestinians.
| Really, then, the current excursion is nothing to fuss about. Particularly not for 1740 words. |
The main question now is why Israel decided to hold. After all, the Fatah regime, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, did not cause Israel particularly big problems. Moreover, the Israeli authorities did not try to create problems for him either - in their opinion, the strong conciliatory Fatah was a necessary counterbalance for the Hamas radicals, who were also supported by hostile Iranians. Why now attack and break off relations (which was quite predictably stated from the PNA office in Ramallah)? Experts and analysts identify four reasons.
MOTIVES AND NEEDS
The first reason is that in recent years the situation in the Jenin area has really deteriorated. About 3 million Palestinians and just under 0.5 million Israeli settlers live in the West Bank
If the settlements are actually supported by the Israeli state, then the Palestinian cities, not to mention the camps inhabited by refugees (which include up to a third of the Arab population of the West Bank), are supported by a much less effective Palestinian authorities.
During the pandemic, socio-economic problems worsened even more, which resulted in regular attacks on Jewish settlers or even on the settlements themselves in the West Bank, especially in the Jenin region (where approximately 20% of all attacks occur).
| For socio-economic reasons?? The writer is drunk on Marx! |
And these attacks are supported by a number of Palestinian groups in the region.
“Besides Fatah Abbas, there are other, more radical and active groups. The same Hamas, the Islamic Jihad organization (recognized as a terrorist organization in Russia) , etc. They do not accept the conciliatory approach of Mahmoud Abbas towards Israel. Therefore, Israel decided to strike in order to neutralize them, ” explains Professor of the Diplomatic Academy, Doctor of Historical Sciences Alexander Vavilov to IA Regnum .
The second reason is the internal problems of the country. “In Israel, the situation is not easy - there are too many contradictions and disagreements. For decades, protests have been going on in the country against Netanyahu's desire to carry out legal reform, ” Vavilov notes.
| He means months. As I recall, it is now Week 26. |
The purpose of the reform is to give the parliament (Knesset) the right to circumvent the decisions of the constitutional court, as well as generally undermine the independence of the judiciary.
“Netanyahu tried to neutralize the protest - he postponed the reform, made concessions, but he could not overcome the resistance from the opposition. Well, in order to divert the attention of the population from these contradictions, it was decided to carry out the operation, ” continues Vavilov.
The method, in general, is not new. The left-wing forces in Israel support peaceful solutions to problems, but even they cannot ignore a series of attacks on Israelis and their settlements in the Jenin area. Therefore, now the left-wing media, commenting on the operation, are trying to follow a very thin line: on the one hand, not to support hostilities, and on the other, not to particularly criticize the authorities for protecting Israeli citizens.
The third reason is the specifics of the new Israeli government. “ The military believes that a strong PNA plays a key role in maintaining the security of Israel and controlling the activities of the Palestinians. But since the far-right government came to power, there has been a marked shift in Israel's policy towards the West Bank.
Netanyahu's far-right government - according to Alexander Vavilov, one of the most right-wing in the country's history
| One of? In other words, Israel has survived worse without long term problems... |
- was formed in December 2022, and since then a number of its members have advocated the toughest approach to the Palestinian Authority. For the rejection of meaningless negotiations and the transition to power politics.
“We must start a military operation. Destroy Palestinian homes, destroy terrorists, not one or two, but dozens, hundreds and, if necessary, thousands. This is the only way we can take control of this territory, strengthen our positions and ensure the safety of local residents, ” said Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir at the end of June .
As Vavilov points out, "they need to show strength and even show that they do not listen to the words of American patrons who oppose the operation."
Finally, the fourth reason is external factors. Moreover, we are talking about both the conflict in Ukraine (which diverts a significant share of the attention of European governments, which traditionally criticize Israel for military actions), and the Iranian-Saudi normalization of relations achieved with the support of the Chinese .
CHINA RESTORED RELATIONS BETWEEN IRAN AND SAUDI ARABIA. UKRAINE IS NEXT
If Tehran and Riyadh manage to resolve regional differences,
| ...how gullible are you feeling, dear pundit? |
then the pro-Iranian and pro-Saudi forces competing with each other in Palestine can join forces in the fight against Israel.
| An interesting concept. What are the odds? |
Thus, dealing a serious blow to the long-standing Israeli "divide and survive." Therefore, Tel Aviv is trying to play ahead of the curve.
But just how effective will this game be? According to experts, it will not be very good if Tel Aviv Jerusalem conducts it according to the principle by which it conducts operations in the Gaza Strip. That is, "attacked, eliminated the terrorists, left." After the withdrawal of Israeli troops, the Palestinians will quickly restore capacity.
“Most importantly, if you predict its course, then in fact it will give little. There are quite a few factors that reinforce the radical wing in the Palestinian resistance movement. Both Iran and internal forces, ” says Alexander Vavilov. “ In addition, the operation will give the radicals important propaganda trump cards . ” The situation can only be saved by the dismantling of the Palestinian autonomy and a return to the full occupation of the West Bank, but Israel, with all the ultra-right nature of power, is not ready to take such a step. Too much internal and external resistance, as well as responsibility.
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