The ‘horrific’ operation of the Israeli forces and the harrowing experience of the people of Jenin
Last Updated on September 10, 2024 7:26 am
Seja Bawakneh, a Palestinian woman, stood outside the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. A few years ago, his father was killed here by Israeli forces. Recently he came to that place again.
This time he was waiting for a signal from an Israeli army officer. So that he and his family members can go to the main hospital in the city.
Israeli forces drove them from their homes during a brutal 10-day campaign in Jenin. After five days, however, they can return to their homes.
At 1 am, Seja was standing with her 60-year-old mother, two sisters, pregnant sister-in-law and younger siblings. They had only a small bag of baby essentials and some clothes to wear.
The Bawakneh family home has been raided several times before. But this campaign in Jenin was the most terrifying. The townspeople compared it to an ‘earthquake’. At least 34 Palestinians were killed in the operation and Israeli bulldozers destroyed large parts of the city.
The Israeli forces withdrew the 10-day operation last Friday.
29-year-old Seja Bawakneh said, ‘It usually takes us 10 minutes to walk to the hospital. But that day because of the debris on the roads and houses and we were walking slowly with our hands up – it took us a lot longer’.
First imprisoned, then displaced
After the horrific raid that began on August 28, the Bawakneh family took refuge in the kitchen of their four-storey house. This was the safest place for them. Because Israeli snipers were stationed outside. For five days they were stuck there and survived on whatever food, water and medicine was available in the house.
On the fifth day of the campaign, the Israeli forces opened fire for an hour. After that entered their house. Seja said, “We all sat in a corner of the kitchen, huddled together and chattering.” Bombs, gunshots and people’s screams could be heard all around.
He said that after the Israeli soldiers entered their house, they asked the Bawakneh family to leave. Seja did not agree at first. Because he didn’t think it was safe for children to go out on the streets. The soldiers got angry and threatened to lock them in a room and also took away their mobile phones. After some time an army came and threw them out of the house and asked them to leave in the dark of night.
“We then make sure the kids are dressed and have shoes on,” Seja said. We were urging them to leave, because the troops could come back at any moment’.
Recalling the terrible situation that day, this 29-year-old Palestinian woman said, “We were all scared, including the children, and the children were holding us tight.” Their legs were shaking so much that they could not walk.
“When they came to our house around 10pm, they were in ‘unbelievable’ numbers and were searching every room with trained dogs,” Seja added.
He said, “The army brought enough water and food, which was enough for the days of the campaign. Then we were sure that they were going to use our house as a ‘military base’.
This Palestinian woman also said, “At this time, I asked them if they can guarantee our safety as we walk alone in this darkness.” An officer replied yes. In fact, we had no other option. Later we left and they didn’t let us take a single thing with us. We had no food, water, clothes, money.
Upon arriving at the Jenin Government Hospital, Seja Bawakneh quickly realized that their situation was similar to that of many other families. Those who were forced to leave their homes and whose lives ended in hospitals.
Due to power outages and lack of internet access, there was no way of knowing what was happening across the city. Also, there was no way to understand what was happening in the refugee camps and across the eastern part of the city.
Ruined city
Seja said, as soon as the sun rose the next day, people started coming in large numbers and in their presence thronged the hospital courtyard.
Meanwhile, human rights groups including Amnesty International have warned that the Israeli forces’ deadly campaign against Palestinians in the West Bank is “like a terrible earthquake”. As a result, forced displacement is also inevitable.
Nidal Al-Obaidi, the head of Jenin Municipality, agreed, “I will compare this campaign to an earthquake.” Because the Israeli forces have destroyed the houses and roads of the city with bulldozers. Water and electricity lines have also been cut. Schools, playgrounds and businesses were destroyed. About 70 percent of the city was completely destroyed’.
At least 120 families were displaced and more than 100 shops were destroyed in this operation by Israeli forces. The Bawakneh family home was also destroyed. In this regard, Seja said, “Every corner of our house has been destroyed. It will take weeks to make it livable again’.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said several of its groups were unsuccessful in seeking responses from people trapped in Jenin and its refugee camps. People are facing serious problems in responding to them. Because the Israeli forces have severely restricted all their rights. Many were short of food, water, baby food and other essentials.
Local journalist Iman Silawi said Israeli soldiers had cornered the commercial square at the heart of the refugee camp and declared it a ‘protected military zone’.
The local journalist said that only a part of the 12,000 residents of the refugee camp managed to escape since the operation began. Those who fled went to the outskirts of the city or to areas of the camp where the conflict was concentrated.
However, dozens of people were forcibly evicted by Israeli soldiers from the eastern part of the camp, especially around Ad-Damz. Thousands of other families remained in camps.
This is because they either could not leave safely. Because there is simply no way to do that.
People are losing hope without getting help
Al-Obaidi said that the people of Jenin have always remained firm against Israeli aggression. But this time the sheer scale of destruction and uncertainty dashed their hopes.
Seja said, “We are very tired. We have nothing left and the people in the refugee camps are not getting any help. As a result, our hope of returning to normal life is getting weaker day by day.
Basically, the families who are in this terrible crisis are now looking for safe shelter. But many will not be able to return to their homes without any kind of assistance.
(Based on Al Jazeera’s report)