Israeli forces threaten to blow up Jenin mosque with fighters inside

ByNews Desk- The Cradle

In a statement via Twitter, the Israeli army confirmed that it has bombed the mosque's vicinity

A group of Palestinian resistance fighters are currently holed up in a mosque besieged by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, with the troops reportedly threatening to demolish the mosque over their heads.

“The Shin Bet [security service] sent messages to the phones of the gunmen holed up inside the Al-Ansar Mosque in Jenin [refugee camp], stating, ‘If you do not turn yourself in, we will destroy the mosque over your heads,’” a correspondent for Israel’s Channel 12 was quoted as saying.

Yoav Zeitoun, another military correspondent for Israeli newspaper, Yediot Ahronoth was quoted as saying that a “battle is taking place in a mosque in the refugee camp between about 10 gunmen holed up in the building, firing from it and throwing explosive devices at [the surrounding Israeli force.]”

According to the correspondent, the army has threatened to fire missiles into the mosque if the fighters do not surrender.

Via Twitter, the Israeli military confirmed the presence of resistance fighters inside the Jenin camp’s Al-Ansar Mosque, adding that it carried out airstrikes near the mosque.

RIGHT NOW: Exchanges of fire are taking place with armed gunmen adjacent to a mosque in Jenin Camp.

An IDF aircraft struck nearby to remove the threat. pic.twitter.com/XOBNA4afRR

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 3, 2023

“Exchanges of fire are taking place with armed gunmen adjacent to a mosque in Jenin Camp. An IDF aircraft struck nearby to remove the threat,” the statement read.

Jew terrorists IOF is using drones for airstrikes after they were unable to confront the heroic response from the fighters in Jenin camp on the ground. pic.twitter.com/6RJqvzgCLh

— iMALIK (@thisisimalik) July 3, 2023

 

This comes as part of an ongoing Israeli military operation in the city, which began during the early hours of 3 July and has seen the Israeli army besiege the entirety of Jenin. Ten Palestinians have been killed, mainly by airstrikes, while at least 50 have been injured.

Several aerial attacks were launched on Jenin by Israeli forces throughout the ongoing assault on the city, in what is being described as the largest military operation in the occupied West Bank since 2002.

The operation was launched in response to the unprecedented rise of armed resistance in the West Bank, which has posed an increased threat to Israel.

Confronting the massive invasion of Jenin are several different resistance factions, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s (PIJ) Jenin Brigade, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, and groups linked with Hamas.

In a statement, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was quoted as saying: “We call on our people throughout the West Bank to stand by Jenin and defend its people in order to thwart the enemy’s plan.”

“The blood being shed in Jenin will determine the nature of the next stage in all directions. Our people … know how to respond to this barbaric aggression,” Haniyeh added.