Israeli soldiers operating in the West Bank city of Jenin on June 17, 2022. Source: the Israel Defense Forces.
On January 6, the Jenin Battalion of the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, released footage documenting a recent attack on an Israeli military convoy in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli troops came under attack on January 2 while on their way back from the town of Kafr Dan, where they demolished the homes of two Palestinians who killed one of its commanders in the West Bank last year before they were shot dead. Israel demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out deadly attacks as a part of controversial policy.
Jenin Battalion fighters targeted the convoy with firebombs, gunfire and even rocks. Israeli troops fired back, killing two Palestinian fighters. This was the first major confrontation in the West Bank this year.
Following the bold attack, the Israeli military carried a series of raids across the West Bank. At least 16 Palestinian were reportedly arrested.
The attack highlights how Palestinian fighters in the West Bank are improving their capabilities and developing better tactics despite of Israel’s strict security measures.
Last year West Bank saw the worst levels of violence in more than a decade. Most of the confrontation between Palestinian fighters and Israeli troops took place in Nablus and Jenin. At least 150 Palestinians and more than 20 Israelis killed.
