[ The Israeli incursion into Jenin showed the violence of
occupation and blatant disregard for Palestinian rights. At least 133
Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the start of this year
alone.]
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PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE WILL NOT BE SNUFFED OUT BY ISRAEL  
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Mohammed R. Mhawish
July 5, 2023
Jacobin
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_ The Israeli incursion into Jenin showed the violence of occupation
and blatant disregard for Palestinian rights. At least 133
Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the start of this year
alone. _

22-year-old Aid Abu Amr with a Palestinian flag in one hand and a
slingshot poised in the other amid black smoke during a demonstration
demanding the lifting of Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip., Photo
by Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu Agency

 

A cool morning breeze became suffocating as black smoke filled the air
and tear gas blanketed Jenin camp on Monday, July 3. Ten Israeli air
strikes targeted the densely populated West Bank area, followed by a
brigade of two thousand soldiers. Armored bulldozers and heavy
military vehicles also pushed into the camp.

The Israeli military’s large-scale operation in the refugee camp
filled residents with fear. Health crews’ mobility to rescue those
stranded under fire were hindered by Israeli checkpoints at the
camp’s entrance. Two days later on Wednesday morning, the Israeli
army finally announced the withdrawal of its forces, ending a two-day
raid that killed twelve Palestinians and left over a hundred others
injured.

The raid has raised the death toll of Palestinians killed by Israeli
forces to 133 since the beginning of the year, in an increasing
pattern of persistent attacks on the West Bank. For so long, the Jenin
refugee camp has been a symbol of Palestinian resistance and social
steadfastness. Israel’s portrayal of the invasion as “targeting
terrorism” dismisses Palestine’s century-long struggle for freedom
and obscures the broader context of resistance in Jenin and across the
occupied West Bank. The use of “security” as a pretext has become
a tool for the Israeli military to carry out violent acts against
Palestinian civilians.

Despite the army’s statements, the assault was not about Israel’s
security — it is collective punishment for the Palestinian people at
large. There is no strategic reason to use heavy equipment to destroy
civilian infrastructure other than to inflict collective punishment.

Israel invaded Jenin to eradicate the efforts of Palestinian fighters
and, ironically, create what they call “stability” in the occupied
West Bank. Yet achieving stability under military rule and occupying
power will remain elusive. Even if the Palestinian fighters in Jenin
were killed or detained, the uprising will continue until the
occupation ends.

The word “resist” terrifies Israel, but for Palestinians, it is a
matter of survival. It is a refusal to be subjected to physical,
psychological, economic, social, and political violence and abuse.
Expelling people from their homes and silencing their voices as they
fight against discrimination and apartheid in the West Bank will not
lead to peace, stability, or calm. Israel, for seven decades, has
failed to acknowledge that the Palestinian people’s legitimate right
to self-defense is not a crime.

Beyond the tactical news in Jenin surfaced the fact that Israel’s
attempts to uproot the indigenous population of the camp, the West
Bank, and all of Palestine have failed. If anything, these attempts
have further deepened the attachment of subsequent generations to
their land. For Palestinians, Jenin and Palestine as a whole are not
mere plots of land; they are home, identity, and a testament to their
struggle, deeply rooted in their ancestral heritage.

Monday’s raid was the largest attack on Palestinian territory in
years. It unveiled a high level of intensification of the Israeli
assaults against a Palestinian refugee population in Jenin. Scores of
Palestinian families expelled from the camp marked a striking
observation that the Nakba is an ongoing tragedy, echoing the forced
displacement experienced in 1948. Jenin, already housing refugees from
the 1948 Nakba, witnessed a repetition of history, as its residents
desperately flee death and terror.

Over the decades, the camp transformed into a thriving community,
housing families uprooted from their historic homes. They poured their
love, dedication, and sacrifice into this makeshift community,
tirelessly striving to create a sense of familiarity amid the
unfamiliar.

These people only grew more deeply attached to the land that was taken
from them. When the Second Intifada erupted in 2000, they fearlessly
stood against the occupation, their unwavering determination etched in
their very existence. They refused to back down, even in the face of
overwhelming assaults, defending their land and clutching onto their
rights until the end.

In Jenin through the passage of time, the great generation found love
and formed their own families, weaving the fabric of the camp’s
collective identity. Their children, born and raised within these
camp’s confines, grew up through the hovering of warplanes and the
terror that constantly threatened their lives and the survival of
their community.

The people of Jenin stood resolute against the bulldozers that
destroyed their homes and shelters during the 2002 siege, known as the
“Battle of Jenin.” Their defiance was unwavering. Today, they find
themselves embracing a new struggle, fighting to protect their homes
and lands in the camp.

For two days, the Israeli military tightened its grip on the people by
encircling the camp and sealing off all access points in an attempt to
suffocate the fighters’ shelters and armory. The aftermath of this
attack reverberated through the lives of thousands of remaining Nakba
survivors, forcing them again to abandon their homes and face the
painful reality of displacement.

The brave individuals refused to succumb to oppression. They marched
forward with unwavering resolve, hoping that their current struggle
will eventually resolve in a better future for the generations to
come. They carried the weight of history on their shoulders and upheld
the legitimacy of resistance they have amplified through the years.

Across Palestine, the suffering in Jenin echoes strength and inspires
solidarity among the entire occupied Palestinian population. The
brutal raid ultimately failed to achieve Israel’s goals of
“security” and was not able to support the Israeli political
leadership. Instead, it will likely ignite a fresh wave of unified
resistance across Palestine. Reflecting on the failed siege of Jenin
in 2002 and many more attacks on the camp since then, it is apparent
that enduring solutions have not been found.

As Israeli forces withdrew from the camp, there was fear that Israel
— just like it did before — will invade the camp again in the
future. But what is vivid on the streets of Jenin is, no matter how
many more raids the camp will endure, residents will remain unbroken.

The children who witnessed previous sieges and attacks have now grown
up to be today’s fighters. Similarly, the children who lived through
the recent siege and raid will sadly be forced to take up arms soon in
pursuit of justice and freedom.

_Mohammed R. Mhawish is a Palestinian journalist, writer, and
researcher living in Gaza City and a contributing author to the
book A Land With a People._

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