At least six people were killed, including a 15-year-old Palestinian boy and three brothers, in an Israeli drone attack on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday evening. According to reports from the Palestinian news agency Wafa, the drone strike targeted a group of people near a traffic roundabout in the camp. The attack resulted in the deaths of the teenager and five other victims, whose ages ranged from 23 to 34. Among the dead were three brothers, all of whom were reportedly in the same group when the missiles struck. Several others were also injured during the attack.
This deadly drone strike adds to the ongoing violence in the region. Earlier this month, an Israeli drone attack on the West Bank town of Tammun had also claimed the lives of two Palestinian children and a 23-year-old from the same family. Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have killed almost 800 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, while arresting several thousand others. The Jenin drone strike is seen as part of the Israeli government’s continued military operations across the occupied territory.
The attack on the Jenin camp took place amid an intensifying series of Israeli military raids targeting local Palestinian communities. This violence, described as part of Israel’s “silent war,” has not attracted the same level of international attention as the ongoing conflict in Gaza, despite its significant toll on Palestinians in the West Bank. Israel’s defense minister has indicated that the country will continue its policy of military intervention throughout the West Bank.
The drone strike also comes in the context of an ongoing military operation by the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces in the Jenin camp. The operation, which has been in progress for several weeks, has targeted Palestinian resistance fighters, resulting in over a dozen deaths. The PA has been working to establish security and stability in Jenin, but the Israeli drone attack has been viewed as an attempt to disrupt these efforts.
Anwar Rajab, a spokesperson for the PA’s security forces, said that the drone strike was aimed at undermining the PA’s operations in the camp. He described it as part of Israel’s broader strategy to destabilize Palestinian authority efforts in the West Bank.
Hassan Khraisheh, the deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, condemned the drone attack, calling it a clear message from the Israeli occupation that no Palestinian is safe from such strikes. “This is a message from the Israeli occupation that every Palestinian is a target,” Khraisheh said. He also expressed outrage over the attack’s timing, which coincided with the PA’s military operations in Jenin. Khraisheh urged the PA to withdraw from the camp and join forces with other Palestinian factions in their resistance against the Israeli occupation.
“The enemy is one, whether as resistance fighters or [PA] security forces,” Khraisheh added. “No one is protected against Israeli attacks.”
In a related development, the Jenin Battalion of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a key militant group in the area, announced that it had agreed to a local initiative aimed at ending infighting between Palestinian factions. The group confirmed its commitment to the “legitimate right to resist the criminal occupation,” but did not provide further details on the agreement.
The ongoing violence and the escalating tensions between Palestinian factions have highlighted the complex and volatile situation in the occupied West Bank. The PA’s recent crackdown on fighters in Jenin, whom it labels as “outlaws,” has added to the anger among local Palestinians. The PA’s increasing reliance on military force against Palestinian resistance groups has sparked widespread criticism, particularly as it coincides with Israeli military operations that have resulted in numerous Palestinian deaths.
The situation has been further complicated by the PA’s decision to suspend Al Jazeera’s activities in the occupied West Bank, a move that has been widely interpreted as an attempt to silence dissent and restrict freedom of expression in the territory. The suspension of the news network is seen as part of the broader effort by the PA to control the narrative surrounding its operations and its relationship with Israel.
As the conflict continues to unfold in Jenin and throughout the West Bank, both Palestinians and Israelis remain locked in a cycle of violence and retaliation. While international calls for peace and dialogue persist, the deep-rooted tensions and political divisions on both sides make any meaningful resolution seem distant. With Israel’s military actions intensifying and Palestinian resistance groups vowing to continue their struggle, the path to peace remains unclear. The latest drone attack on the Jenin camp serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing human toll of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
