Ramallah -
The Jenin camp, or the "hornet's nest" as the occupation calls it for many years, has been a source of constant headaches for decision-makers in the Israeli security services and for one of the most powerful armies in the region.
The "Jenin camp phenomenon" and its relentless revolution raises questions about the reason for the occupation army's inability to enter the depth of the camp and end its resistance, which has always haunted it, and about the power derived from a small area that does not exceed an area of one square kilometer.
Al-Jazeera Net addressed these and other questions to the son of the Jenin camp, professor of political science at the Arab American University, Dr. Jamal Huwail, and retired military affairs expert Major General Wasef Erekat, in search of answers, while trying to anticipate scenarios for the future of the Jenin resistance as drawn by the Israeli media.
Yesterday, Thursday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the death of 9 Palestinians, including an elderly woman, and the injury of others by Israeli occupation forces, after they stormed the city of Jenin and its camp.
The Palestinian journalist, Ali Samoudi, said in his interview with Al-Jazeera Net that the Israeli army's operations were "concentrated as usual" in the vicinity of the camp and its outskirts, and did not reach the depth, while most of the victims were civilians.
Resistance fighters from the "Jenin Brigade" during a military parade inside the camp (Al-Jazeera)
Why is the Israeli army unable to reach the depth of Jenin camp?
Hawil, who is the author of the book "The Great Battle of Jenin Camp 2002... Living History", which deals with the battle and massacre of the camp in 2022, says that the camp has a solid core of resistance fighters who coalesce with the masses and have a strong popular support.
And "although the camp's equipment is modest and its weapons are light, cohesion with the masses formed a front that was difficult to penetrate."
He adds that the Israeli army, which is described as "the fourth in the world and the strongest armies in the region, is helpless before people who believe in God and then in unity, and in conquering the soldier who says he is invincible, and united behind the gun."
Hawil sees this as a powerful tool for confronting the ideology of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his two extremist ministers, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
He says, "This group is trying to compensate for the failure by violent response and organized terrorism and preventing the movement of ambulance crews, teachers and doctors, thinking that this will lead to the camp's subjugation."
In his answer to the same question, Major General Erekat says, "There is a development in the performance of the Palestinian resistance, and there is a systematic and strong response by the resistance fighters. Therefore, Israel is trying as much as possible to commit its crimes without paying the price, but this time has passed, and the more the army advances, the greater its losses will be." Therefore, there is fear and fear of storming the depth of the camp.”
An investigation by Al-Jazeera on the program "What is Hidden is Greater" a few weeks ago showed the use of primitive bombs, forklifts and iron barriers in the alleys of the camp to prevent the advance of the Israeli forces.
I am the mother of the martyr.
I am the sister of the martyr .
I am the daughter of the martyr .
I am the aunt of the martyr
. I am the grandmother of the martyr. #Women_Jenin #Jenin_Resist pic.twitter.com/sfpFEO0uPM
- Khadija Ben Qena (@Benguennak) January 26, 2023
Where does the Jenin camp derive its strength from?
Jamal Hawail says that the camp enjoys a long legacy of sacrifice and redemption that spans decades, which formed a culture in the consciousness of generations within it and among its people.
He added, "The camp focuses on national unity among the people of the different factions, and the people of the same geography, and it is one unit, especially since its people live in the same poor and medium economic environment, and they are united by one concern, one pain, and one identity, which is the identity of the Jenin camp."
He says that the camp's residents have been suffering from the pain of asylum since the Nakba, "and their pledge not to be repeated again, and not to be an easy prey for the occupation to chew whenever it wants."
He believes that this culture, awareness and sacrifices over many years "made the camp an example and a beacon of sacrifice and redemption in confrontation with the occupation."
The operations of the occupation army against Jenin camp aim to eliminate the phenomenon of the escalating resistance in it (the occupation army)
How is Jenin camp different from the rest of the occupied territories, and why is it specifically targeted?
Military expert Erekat believes that Israel "is trying to monopolize the arenas, and the battle is not in the Jenin camp alone. Today, Jenin, and before that the Old City in Nablus, and other cities and villages."
He adds, "The occupation is trying to divide the Palestinian people, who have proven the unity of resistance and the unity of the arenas, but failed after the various arenas collapsed today to respond to the storming of the camp by clashing in various locations."
Erekat says that the Jenin camp does not differ in essence from any other place, but rather reflects more clearly a state of resistance among the Palestinian people, "and it is difficult to end the resistance of a people."
And while "Israel thinks that it can end the phenomenon of resistance with assassinations and crimes, the revolution has become a reality and continues," because "the Jenin camp is an extension of the belief and culture of the Palestinian people, which is the belief of resistance and the culture of confrontation."
What was the result of Operation Breaking Waves, which the Israeli army launched last year?
The military analyst says that Operation Breaking Waves, which began less than a year ago, targeted resistance fighters and innocent people with field assassination, and was a failed operation.
"Whenever a martyr rises, dozens of resistance fighters appear in and outside the Jenin camp, so that the resistance is now in the custody of Palestinian youth who are capable of confrontation and provide more."
He said that no matter how the Israeli occupation tries to end the resistance, it will not affect it, "and all attempts to break the resolve and will of the resistance fighters have failed."
What did the Israeli army say about the violent storming of Jenin, and what are the future scenarios?
The Israeli army said, in a statement received by Al-Jazeera Net, Thursday, that its forces carried out an "operation" in the "center" of the Jenin camp, to arrest 3 wanted persons from the Islamic Jihad movement, during which an exchange of fire took place.
He claimed that the activists were involved in operations against the Israeli army and settlers, and they were trapped in a house, as a result of which two were killed and a third was arrested.
The Israeli Channel 13 quoted a military officer as saying that the army is preparing for all scenarios, while the Hebrew "Walla" website said that the occupation army has raised the level of alert in the West Bank.
The Hoopoes Network, which specializes in Israeli affairs, quoted Hebrew media as saying that the Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, will conduct an assessment of the situation with the participation of Chief of Staff Herti Halevy, the head of the Shin Bet, Ronan Bar, the head of Military Intelligence, Aharon Maliva, and the head of the Operations Division, Oded Basiol. And the coordinator of the occupation government's operations in the occupied territories, "Ghassan Alian", regarding what happened in Jenin and preparations for the future.
After a series of Palestinian operations, some of them inside the Green Line, the Israeli army launched a military operation in March 2022, called "breaking waves", targeting the military wings of the factions, especially in the northern West Bank.
However, as the operation approached its first year and dozens of martyrs fell, the situation on the ground did not change, and the Palestinian operations continued, but new military groups appeared.
According to a strategic assessment by the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies, published last Monday, the escalation in the Palestinian arena is one of the most prominent threats to Israel during 2023 and the most likely to explode, with the increasing spirit of revolution among the Palestinians.