Gaza in Samaria? IDF evacuates civilians, carries out airstrikes as Operation Iron Wall continues

As the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) counter-terrorism operation in northern Samaria, Operation Iron Wall, enters its second week, some Palestinians are concerned that the Israeli military is applying tactics in the Palestinian territories similar to those used in Gaza.

In order to have greater freedom of operation within the Jenin Refugee Camp, IDF drones with loudspeakers called on residents of certain neighborhoods to evacuate.

The military says it has killed over 50 Palestinian terror operatives during the two week operation, while arresting over 100 wanted suspects, seizing over 40 weapons, and destroying hundreds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) so far. 

Of the  50 terrorist killed, 35 were killed in firefights with security soldiers during operations, while another 15 were killed in drone strikes. 

On Sunday, the IDF announced that it had scanned hundreds of structures in the Jenin area, locating explosives laboratories, weapons, observation posts, and other terrorist infrastructure. Following a tactic used in Gaza, the security forces demolished 23 structures containing the terror infrastructure.

Additionally on Sunday, the military announced the expansion of Operation Iron Wall to the town of Tammun, several kilometers south of Jenin. 

Palestinian leaders have accused Israel of attempting to replicate the destruction and population relocation of Gaza in the territories of Judea and Samaria. 

The mayor of Jenin claimed, “The Israeli operation is a replica of what happened in Gaza.” 

Meanwhile, the governor of nearby Tulkarm, Abdullah Kamil, claimed that about half of the residents were forced to flee due to the IDF's activity. According to Kamil, Israel is working to "change the characteristics and demography of the camps" and is waging war "against all Palestinians, not just in the camps." He accused Israel of "taking advantage of the presence of militants" in Tammun and Qabatiya in order to force residents to abandon their homes, saying that some 1,500 families had been displaced from Tulkarm. 

The mayor of Jenin and the governor of Tubas also accused the IDF trying to replicate the situation of Gaza in their territories. 

If there is no urgent international intervention, the scope of the disaster will be enormous,” Mahammed Jarrar, mayor of Jenin claimed. “Half of the city's neighborhoods do not have access to water, food and electricity because of the Israeli blockade.” 

“The Israeli operation is a copy of what happened in Gaza – the city will become an abandoned area if it continues,” Jarrar continued. 

The governor of nearby Tubas, Ahmad Assad, echoed his claims, saying, “The Israeli army evacuated 15 buildings in Tammun and told the residents not to return for three weeks.” 

The IDF claims the call to evacuate parts of the cities was made to protect the civilian population during the intense military operation. Those evacuating were instructed to pass through military checkpoints, where security forces checked for weapons and wanted persons. 

At the same time, the IDF has begun a new cooperative effort with the Israel Air Force, called “Connection from Heaven”, to strengthen and deepen cooperation between ground and air units, based on the lessons learned from events in the Iron Sword War in Gaza. That includes the use of airstrikes to support ground troops operating against terror squads in the territories, a relatively recent development in counter terror operations in Judea and Samaria. 

With the ceasefire in Gaza entering its third week, Israel has shifted its military focus to the Palestinian Territories in Judea and Samaria, aiming to prevent the establishment of terror squads operating under the command of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.