‘The resistance continues to be right here’: Hamas fighters are bullish however state of affairs stays extraordinarily tense in Jenin

The Israelis have withdrawn from the Jenin refugee camp within the north of the occupied West Bank and a peaceful has returned, however the militants who have been focused stay defiant. 

We have been taken to satisfy a fighter from Al Qassam Brigades, one of many essential preventing forces within the camps.

And he claims though it was the largest army operation right here in twenty years the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) achieved nothing.

“We expected them to target our positions,” he mentioned.

“But we did not suppose it might be with so many airstrikes. They fired greater than 50 rockets. We thought they might solely hit our positions, however they did not goal us as a lot as civilian areas.

“They only arrested one fighter. And the weapons they took were mostly for civilians not military.

“Our weapons are nonetheless with us, the resistance continues to be right here and we did not lose something.”

The IDF has acknowledged civilian injuries, but said its raid was a “counter-terrorism” operation.

Pictures are rising from the Palestinian facet, which present the depth of the preventing. Armed militants wielding automated weapons conflict on the streets with Israeli troopers.

It is why Israel says it wanted to behave to “uproot terrorist activity” and restore safety.

But questions do persist about how effective the raid has been.

The data battle is in full swing and the militant teams have been fast to publish video on social media of a bomb manufacturing unit which they declare continues to be producing dozens of selfmade explosives.

At Friday prayers there’s an expectation that there can be extra raids to return – Israel claims it’s going to proceed its operations so long as crucial, however assist for the militant teams is unlikely to be damaged.

One girl tells me that what occurred over the previous couple of days was a triumph for the resistance.

She waves her fingers within the air defiantly as she speaks.

“We emerged victorious! We feel victorious,” she mentioned.

Read extra:
Why Israel launched one of its largest operations in years
Israeli troops complete withdrawal from Jenin refugee camp
Israel hopes its West Bank raid will prevent terror attacks but previous operations have failed to calm tensions

“All of these soldiers, and all of this shooting and we emerged victorious. And all of those who left their homes came back.”

A person standing by her additionally desires to ship a message.

“Thank God, people in the camp’s spirits are high they’re standing firm. All the devastation you see people have got used to,” he mentioned.

“What has the occupation achieved? Have you come here to fight the ground and destroy the infrastructure? You’ve come here to smash and break whilst people are sheltering in their homes. Why?”

The state of affairs in Jenin stays extraordinarily tense – one other spherical of violence might not be distant.

With no political resolution on the horizon and a 3 many years outdated peace course of successfully lifeless there may be little optimism however big quantities of frustration.