IDF carries out daylight raid in Jenin, 2 Palestinian terrorists killed

Two terrorist senior commanders were killed in an Israel Defense Forces raid on Thursday that took place in the West Bank city of Jenin. The two Palestinian terrorists were identified as Nidal Hazem, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander, and Youssef Shreim, a commander for Hamas.

A teenager named Omar Wadin and a fourth unidentified person were also reportedly killed, one of whom had been “attacking the [Israeli] forces with a sledgehammer,” The Jerusalem Post reported.

While not mentioned by the Palestinian Health Ministry, Israel reported that a man named Youssef Abu Ashrin, an Islamic Jihad terrorist, was also killed, although BBC news reported “it was unclear” if this is the same man identified by the Palestinian Authority (PA) as Youssef Shreim.

The IDF says that Ashrin was targeted for manufacturing explosives and shooting at IDF soldiers, and that Hazem had been a part of “significant terrorist activity.”

#شاهد لحظة تواجد القوات الخاصة وسط جنين، وبعد محاصرتها من قبل الشبان ومقاومين pic.twitter.com/NQdYTFVKJi

— Newpress | نيو برس (@NewpressPs) March 16, 2023

In addition to those killed, 20 Palestinians were injured during the raid, as Israeli forces exchanged fire with other Palestinian gunmen in the area.

Israeli forces involved in the operation included the IDF, Israel's intelligence agency, Shin Bet, and the Israeli Border Police.

Responding to news of the raid, the spokesperson for PA President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly said the raid was conducted "to detonate the situation and drag the region into a square of tension and violence," and provided proof that Israel “is not at all interested in calming the situation and preventing its eruption, contrary to all international efforts seeking to prevent escalation in the holy month of Ramadan."

Hamas and PIJ also made statements, threatening retaliation against Israel.

“The crime of assassinating the heroes of the resistance in Jenin will not go unanswered, and our people and its resistance are capable of striking the occupation and making it pay the price for its crimes," a Hamas spokesperson said.

A PIJ spokesperson commented: The occupation bears full responsibility for the cowardly assassination crime carried out by Zionist special forces against the fighters and mujahideen of our Palestinian people in Jenin this evening and will pay the price for these crimes."