At Least One Killed in Clashes Between Palestinian Security Forces and Militants in West Bank City
Jenin, West Bank – Gunshots and explosions echoed through the city of Jenin on Saturday as Palestinian security forces clashed with Palestinian militants and established checkpoints, leaving at least one person dead, according to residents and medics.
The violence comes as tensions have risen in recent days between Palestinian militant factions and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA) of President Mahmoud Abbas, following a series of raids by the PA.
The PA’s security forces said they were conducting a security operation to restore order to the historic refugee camp suburb of Jenin, a stronghold of Palestinian militants disaffected with the Palestinian leadership.
The militant group Hamas, which has been fighting Israeli forces in Gaza for over a year, condemned the PA’s operation and called for a day of protests. Islamic Jihad, another allied militant group, also called for a day of protests.
Jenin has been a hotbed of conflict between Palestinian militant groups and Israeli military forces in recent years, with the Israeli military conducting intensified raids in the area since March 2022, following a spate of Palestinian street attacks.
