US does not condemn Israel’s raid in Jenin, urges cooperation with Palestinians

The United States government is closely following but is not condemning the ongoing Israeli military operation in the West Bank town of Jenin, which has left by Monday eight Palestinians dead. 

 “We have seen the reports and are monitoring the situation closely. We support Israel’s security and right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups," a statement issued by an unnamed spokesperson of the US National Security Council said.

The US official added that "today’s events further underscore the urgent need for Israeli and Palestinian security forces to work together to improve the security situation in the West Bank. It is imperative to take all possible precautions to prevent the loss of civilian lives."

The US reaction followed condemnations by top UN officials and several Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and also Turkey. 

UN 'alarmed', Arab world condemns

The UN humanitarian coordinator for the West Bank and Gaza Lynn Hastings tweeted that she was “alarmed by the scale of Israeli forces operation in Jenin, occupied West Bank. Airstrikes were used in densely populated refugee camps. Several dead and critically wounded. Access to all injured must be ensured,” Hastings said, adding that her office was “mobilizing humanitarian partners to provide assistance.”

Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sinan Al-Majali said Monday that the Israeli military operation “constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law and obligations of the [Israeli] occupation.” He called for immediate action by the international community to stop the Israeli raids and provide protection for Palestinians. 

According to Jordan’s Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi spoke on Monday morning with senior Palestinian Authority official Hussein Al-Sheikh. Condemning the Israeli operation, Safadi warned of “a dangerous escalation that would set off wide cycles of violence,” adding that “the repeated Israeli attacks on Palestinian cities will only contribute to increasing tension, which is also fueled by illegal Israeli measures that undermine the two-state solution and kill hope in the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive peace.”

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry warned of the serious repercussions of the ongoing West Bank escalation, “which leads to fueling tensions, exacerbating the suffering of the Palestinian people and undermining efforts exerted to ease tension in the occupied territories."

Calling on all sides to return to regional and international peace efforts, the Foreign Ministry of the United Arab Emirates said it “strongly condemns” Israel’s Jenin operation, calling for “the immediate halt of repeated and escalating campaigns against the Palestinian people.”

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on Monday evening issued a statement saying, "We are deeply concerned that escalation in the region could lead to a fresh spiral of violence by these attacks, and we reiterate our call for the Israeli authorities to act with common sense and stop such actions."

Earlier in the day, the Palestinian Authority warned it will completely halt security cooperation with Israel. Last January, the Palestinian Authority announced ending security cooperation with Israel over an IDF operation in Jenin, where nine Palestinians were killed. Since then, Israeli and Palestinian senior officials met twice — first in Aqaba, Jordan, and then in Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt — together with American, Jordanian and Egyptian top officials, in efforts to calm the region, agreeing to set up a mechanism to that effect.

Al-Arabiya network cited Monday Egyptian officials saying Cairo had expressed to Jerusalem its anger over the Jenin operation, which stands contrary to the understandings reached at the Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh meetings. Cairo also warned Israel that the operation is escalating the security situation in both the West Bank and Gaza, threatening that it will cut short its mediation efforts vis-a-vis the Gaza-based Palestinian factions.

According to Israel’s Makor Rishon newspaper, Jerusalem had made it clear to Washington in recent weeks that a significant operation against the terrorist infrastructure in Jenin would arrive soon. The newspaper said that in view of terror attacks in the past few months against Israelis, Jerusalem estimated that American efforts to strengthen the Palestinian Authority governance on the ground had indeed failed and that extreme elements, including Iran-affiliated groups, are now attempting to exploit the situation and fill up the vacuum. 

Israel's Ambassador to the US Mike Herzog tweeted that "in the past two years, Jenin has become a major focus of terrorism and an Iranian stronghold close to Israeli population centers. Most of the terrorist attacks against Israelis originate in Jenin. No nation will sit idly by when terrorists harm its citizens."