Life for Jenin residents ‘in paralysis’ as Israeli operation enters second week

As the Israeli military operation in Jenin and its environs in the occupied West Bank enters its second week, the situation has only gotten bleaker for Palestinians in the area.

The Jenin municipality said on Sunday that the Israeli army has bulldozed 70 percent of the city’s streets and water has been cut off from 80 percent of homes.

Additionally, 20 kilometres of water and sewage networks, communication and electricity cables have been demolished.

Out of the 33 Palestinians who have been killed since Israeli forces launched their largest invasion of the West Bank since the Second Intifada, 19 were in Jenin, the Palestinian health ministry says.

Seven of those killed were children, including a 16-year-old Palestinian girl, Lujain Musleh, who was shot dead by Israeli forces in the town of Kafr Dan in the Jenin governorate on Tuesday.

‘The Israeli army killed her dreams’

Ibrahim Musleh, a relative of Lujain’s, told Middle East Eye that Israeli snipers were stationed in several buildings in the area after the army stormed Kafr Dan.

Lujain was looking out her home’s window to see the soldiers when an Israeli sniper shot her directly in the head the moment she pulled the curtain, Musleh said.

“Her parents and sisters started screaming and crying while she lay motionless. It seemed that she was killed instantly because the bullets were explosive and destroyed her brain,” he added.

Musleh said an ambulance dispatched to the Musleh house came under Israeli sniper fire before eventually reaching the area 20 minutes later – a trip that would have otherwise taken it two minutes to make.

“Lujain is the third born among her six siblings,” Musleh said. “She was polite and calm. She prayed dawn with her father that day and read the Quran.

“She was praying to God all the time that this barbaric intrusion would end so that she could return to school, but the bullets of the Israeli army killed her dreams.”

On Wednesday, Israeli media reported that the army decided to extend its operations in Jenin, which it had originally planned to end on Tuesday.

The army reportedly sent reinforcements to Jenin and Tulkarm amid continued clashes with Palestinian fighters.

‘Complete paralysis of life’

Nidal al-Obaidi, mayor of Jenin, told MEE that the Israeli operations have left the city looking like the aftermath of an earthquake.

The most affected areas are the eastern neighbourhoods, where Jenin’s refugee camp is located.

Israeli forces have been stationed there for several days, besieging the area while carrying out bulldozing operations and demolitions.

“No information has been received from the camp due to the tight siege and the cutting off of electricity, water and communications,” Obeidi said.

“The commercial square area, which is considered the heart of Jenin, has been completely destroyed and shopping has completely stopped. Many shops have been demolished, bulldozed and burned amid a severe shortage of food and medicine.”

Israeli forces have “occupied many homes and expelled their owners,” the mayor added.

Soldiers have also made holes in the walls to facilitate movement between them.

Municipality crews and volunteers are trying to provide aid to residents, but some areas are off-limits due to intense Israeli fire.

Obeidi’s car came under fire a few days ago as he was trying to supervise municipal workers.

While he says they were able to bring water and electricity back to certain areas, the situation remains difficult with even Jenin’s hospitals coming under siege.

The Jenin Government Hospital had to stop operations in several departments due to water and electricity shortages and a lack of medical supplies, Obeidi said, adding that dialysis patients were transferred to Nablus to continue their treatment.

“What is happening in Jenin portends an environmental and food catastrophe and complete paralysis of life,” he said.

“The school year is just around the corner, and teachers were supposed to start their work last Sunday, but they were unable to reach their schools.”