Palestinian terror groups celebrate victory in Jenin operation, Israeli authorities claim ‘objective achieved’

Several hundred Palestinians gathered in the streets of Jenin following the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces and Israel Security Agency operatives late Tuesday.

Amid cheers of “Allahu akbar!” many also chanted slogans in support of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group.

Most of the PIJ Jenin Battalion commanders fled the city shortly before the start of Israel’s counter-terrorism operation in the Jenin refugee camp, according to a Jerusalem Post report.

One of the young men celebrating the military’s withdrawal from the area told a reporter that IDF troops “were forced to pull out less than two days after the invasion because they failed to achieve most of their goals.”

While clearing out and destroying operations facilities in the Jenin refugee camp, Israeli forces found evidence that the various terror groups were cooperating in their planning and activities.

This was confirmed by several Palestinians.

“All the armed groups are united in the field. There is no difference between Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad when it comes to confronting the aggression,” claimed Mu’taz Khalil, a 35-year-old activist from Nablus.

PIJ and Hamas leadership also claim that the operation was a failure for the IDF.

Sec.-Gen. Ziyad al-Nakhaleh of the PIJ said, “The Palestinian people scored a great victory by defeating the aggression against Jenin and its camp.”

He said the “Jenin Battalion and its fighters bravely and heroically led this great victory.”

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh also claimed the operation “taught the enemy a harsh lesson and made it suffer heavy losses.”

Haniyeh falsely stated that the Palestinian resistance dealt “a violent blow” to the IDF.

“Jenin has once again defeated the occupation army,” Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said.

On Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant gave a briefing to military reporters about the operation.

“In the last 48 hours, we have significantly damaged the terrorist production infrastructure, and we have destroyed the terrorist production factory that was established in Jenin,” he said, adding: “The objectives of the operation have been fully achieved.”

The surprise operation, known as Operation Home and Garden, was one of the largest IDF operations in the Judea and Samaria region in 20 years.

During the operation, Israeli security forces located and destroyed several apartments and rooms used as operations command-and-control centers. They also discovered and destroyed six explosive laboratories, along with hundreds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and several kilograms of chemicals for manufacturing explosives.

The IDF reportedly eliminated 12 armed terrorists who confronted Israeli forces while they were carrying out operational objectives.

Gallant earlier described such facilities as a “production line of terror.”

“This ‘production line’ was destroyed as a result of the actions taken by IDF and ISA forces,” Gallant said in remarks to the Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee on Wednesday.

During the press briefing, Gallant also responded to Palestinian assertions that the terrorists acted bravely in the face of opposition.

“Most of them left their place of residence, and those who remained hid in places where they were protected by the civilian population, such as hospitals. This is something that indicates more than anything the cowardice and lack of courage that they tried to demonstrate on the outside,” Gallant said.

Israel had provided advanced notice to the Palestinian Authority shortly before launching the operation, despite the PA’s withdrawal from security cooperation with the Jewish state earlier this year.

Because of the advanced notice, several terror cell leaders were reportedly able to evacuate Jenin before the initial IDF airstrikes began at the start of the military operation.