Since December 1, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has besieged the Jenin Camp and in this neigborhood. And since December 14, PA has been carrying out a violent raid. The stated aim of Operation “Protecting the Homeland” is to “restore order and end security chaos,” but the campaign is directed solely against resistance fighters using tactics similar to those of Israeli forces.

The PA is transforming into a repressive force. For 3 weeks, the Jenin refugee camp has been under total siege, accompanied by a harsh crackdown on dissent :

• Disturbingly, security forces are documenting their crimes and sharing the videos publicly. Here’s what you need to know..
• They operate as an extension of the Israeli occupying force.
• On December 5, Palestinian security forces launched an assault on the Jenin refugee camp. The operation involved special police units, the presidential guard, intelligence operatives, and various other security divisions.
• Snipers have positioned themselves on high buildings around the camp, including the security forces’ headquarters and the hospital. Armed government units occupy the fourth floor of Jenin Hospital, firing indiscriminately at the people and homes within the camp.
• Security forces are stationed at the hospital entrance and inside its emergency unit, where they compel individuals to unlock their phones.
• Those who refuse face beatings and arrests, while anyone found with “suspicious” content—often criticism of the operation—is severely beaten and detained. Protests against these actions are met with tear gas and bullets.
• Security forces label civilians as agents of Iran, ISIS members, or terrorists, regardless of age. These accusations, bizarrely inconsistent, are accompanied by threats of harsh punishment and the use of overwhelming force.
• Posting on social media from anywhere in Palestine—be it Hebron, Ramallah, or Jenin—now risks a sudden arrest by the Palestinian intelligence unit.
• In recent days, numerous individuals, including journalists, have been detained for speaking out.
• On 14 December, Palestinian forces shot and killed at least one Palestinian in Jenin refugee camp. A 15-year-old boy was also shot and killed, and the perpetrator has yet to be confirmed.
• Since 5 December, Palestinian forces have carried out search and arrest operations and have exchanged fire with Palestinians in Jenin city and refugee camp, killing several Palestinians. Following this incident the UN Human Rights Office reiterated its call on the Palestinian authorities “to launch an effective, transparent, and impartial investigation into each killing that raises concerns about serious violations of international human rights law, and to ensure accountability.”
• On 1st January 2025, the Palestinian Authority suspends Al-Jazeera’s operations in the West Bank, decides to temporarily shut down its office. The reason is because Al-Jazeera’s coverage are critical of the PA’s crackdown on armed groups in Jenin (to appease Trump) & idleness on Gaza. In a statement, Al-Jazeera accused the PA of carrying out an "ongoing campaign of incitement and intimidation" against its journalists and called on authorities to protect their safety : online accounts linked to the PA's security apparatus and Fatah have reportedly threatened the network’s reporters in recent days."Al-Jazeera calls on the PA to immediately retract and cancel the decision … and to allow it and its teams to cover freely from the West Bank without any threats or intimidation," it said.
• On 1st January 2025, the Palestinian Authority security forces have arrested Dr.Qasem Bani Ghara,Head of the Emergency Department,while he was working at Jenin Governmental Hospital

Martyrs names (confirmed)

• Rebhi al-Shalabi, 19 (December 10)
• Muhammad al-Amer, 13 (December 14)
• Yazid Ja’ayseh, commander of the Jenin Brigades
• Majd Zaidan, 17 (December 23)
• Shatha Al Sabbagh, 21, student in Journalism (December 28)
• Mohammed Abu Libeh (December 29)
• Irtiqaa Mahmoud Al-Haj Al-Jalqamousi (January 3)
• Qassem Mahmoud al-Haj, 14, his son (January 3)

Testimony from the father of the child Muhammad Al-Amer from Jenin camp

"When my son Muhammad was executed, my other son Louay, a helpless man on crutches injured for a year, and his entire foot is plated,” tried to help his martyred brother Muhammad, but was shot by a PA sniper and is now lying in Ibn Sina Hospital."

According to The Cradle, Yazid Ja’ayseh, was the commander of the Jenin Brigades, who had evaded Israeli assassination attempts for his leadership role in unifying all Palestinian Resistance fighters under the umbrella of a single group.

Why Palestinian authorities is transforming into a repressive force ?

Israel carried out over 80 operations in the past year alone to suppress resistance to its illegal occupation in Jenin. These have resulted in more than 220 killings and thousands of injuries, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, but this resistance is still alive.

“Operation Summer Camps,” launched by the Israeli military on August 28, 2024, targeting armed groups in the northern West Bank, including Jenin. The operation lasted 11 days, during which the IDF reported the deaths of 14 Resistance fighters, and 22 civilians, including 21 in Jenin, with eight children and two elderly individuals among the casualties. This operation created unprecedented destruction, estimating infrastructure damage at $13 million—surpassing.

So, Israel has expressed approval of the PA’s crackdown, hoping it will more effectively suppress resistance. Many Palestinians view the PA’s actions as aiding the apartheid state by targeting anti-occupation fighters, thus enabling the Israeli military to focus resources on Gaza.

On December 22, Israel’s Channel 14 reported that Israel warned Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that the “deadline” for the ongoing operation in Jenin camp is approaching. The message reportedly stated, “You have a short period to finish the operation in Jenin, and then we will resume operations in the northern West Bank.”

According to Mondoweiss, some expert analyses indicates tahtt the PA acted after fears that Palestinian militants would draw inspiration from the collapse of the Syrian regime, and try to topple the PA.

According to AL Jazeera, "the PA may also be attempting to present itself as a security partner to the incoming United States president, Donald Trump, particularly in light of Israeli attempts to weaken it" and according to Omar Rahman, an expert on Israel-Palestine with the Middle East Council on Global Affairs “Over the past few years, the PA has lost control over the West Bank, and I imagine it is trying to claw back control to prove its worth to its handlers – Israel and the United States”.

Consequences on living conditions

According to UNOCHA "The fighting between Palestinian forces and armed Palestinians has disrupted the safe access to essential services for Palestinians, including education, water and health. On multiple occasions, about 33 Palestinian-run schools were forced to shut and shift studies to remote learning. On 15 December, UNRWA announced that the fighting had caused it to halt its services for another day in Jenin refugee camp. Several generators were hit during exchanges of fire, causing intermittent electricity and communication outages in multiple neighbourhoods within the camp. The ongoing fighting has halted the rehabilitation of water networks, which were significantly damaged by previous Israeli military operations, affecting access to water for over 60 per cent of the camp's population (about 12,000 people). The internal unrest has reportedly expanded to other locations in the northern West Bank, including in Tulkarm and near Balata refugee camp in Nablus".

The murder of journalist Shatha Al Sabbagh

On December 28, at around 11 PM, journalist Shatha Al-Sabbagh was fatally shot in the head by a gunman in Jenin while she was on the street with a child near her home. Multiple eyewitnesses reported that she was shot at close range by a gunman who fired several times until she fell to the ground. The shooter was identified by witnesses as a member of the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces. Initially injured, Shatha was pronounced dead at approximately 11:25 PM at Jenin Governmental Hospital. Conflicting accounts of the incident have since emerged. While her brother and her mother alleged that the PA was responsible, citing the area being under their full control, someone in the resistance groups claimed the shooter was a member of the Jenin Battalion who mistook her for a PA agent targeting him. This version is contradicted by key facts: Shatha was wearing civilian clothes, was accompanied by a child, and was shot multiple times at close range. These details cast doubt on the claim of mistaken identity and point to deliberate intent.

On December 30, the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate is demanding an investigation into the killing of 21-year-old Palestinian journalism student Shatha Sabbagh. “The union demands the formation of an independent investigation committee with the participation of a representative of the union to determine the truth, hold the killers accountable, and prevent them from escaping punishment,”

According to Journalist, Nida Ibrahim, "Shatha Sabbagh was a 21-year-old Palestinian journalism student, but she’d been very active lately inside the Jenin refugee camp with her media work, trying to portray the picture to the international and Arab media. She was a very important source of information from within the camp itself. Now she has been shot dead and the family is accusing the Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces, saying there is no way that the bullet could have come from any side but the PA’s snipers. The PA security spokesperson says they were not in the area where Shaza was shot. The family has taken her body for autopsy, and they say that depending on the results, they will file a lawsuit against the Palestinian Authority".

On 1st January 2025, the Palestinian Authority suspends Al-Jazeera’s operations in the West Bank, decides to temporarily shut down its office.

Mohamed al-Haj, 43, and his son Qassem Mahmoud al-Haj, 14, killed by intense fire where they were on their rooftop;

Sources :

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