Palestinian resistance factions have pledged to retaliate against Israel in the wake of a deadly act of aggression by the occupying regime against the northern West Bank city of Jenin.
In a statement released on Monday, the Joint Chamber of Palestinian Resistance Groups urged all resistance fighters in Jenin and its refugee camp to stand by each other and fight the enemy in a unified manner.
“The Joint Chamber always stands ready to pursue the brutal aggressions against Jenin. The resistance is present in all fields and does not allow the enemy to encroach on our people in Jenin,” the statement read.
“We ask all our people …, especially those in the Jenin camp, to join the battle against the occupiers and support Jenin. If the occupiers continue their crime and assault, the Palestinian resistance is ready to respond to the enemy in all fields.”
Early on Monday, Israeli aircraft and ground forces conducted a massive raid on Jenin, killing at least ten Palestinians and injuring dozens, some of them in critical condition.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also said in a statement that Israel will not achieve its goals and that Jenin will not surrender.
“The aggression against Jenin will not achieve its goals, and we will remain [in] Jenin as a symbol of steadfastness,” the statement said. “Our fighters are determined to confront and fight no matter the sacrifices.”
It added that all options are on the table, including striking the enemy in response to its aggression in Jenin.
Hamas Spokesperson Hazem Qassem also said that the aggression will not achieve its goals adding that the Zionist enemy will fail.
“Throughout history, Jenin has proven to be unbreakable and has a great capacity to stand steadfast in the face of the enemy,” he added.
Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of Hamas, also called on the Palestinian people across the occupied West Bank to stand by Jenin and defend its people to thwart the enemy’s plan.
He said Palestinians and the resistance groups “know how to respond to this savage aggression.”
Fatah political party also said the Israeli occupation is delusional about its ability to kill the resistance spirit through its terror and incursions into the Palestinian camps.
It urged the Palestinian people to take caution, because “the enemy is insidious, and its aim is killing, destruction and sabotage.”
Palestine calls for intl. action
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned “the barbaric aggression” and called for urgent international intervention.
The carnage, it added, is part of the official Israeli policy of using military force in dealing with the defenseless Palestinian people instead of political solutions.
The ministry also called on The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) to “end its silence and start holding Israeli war criminals accountable.”
Jordan demands intl. pressure on Israel to stop bloodshed
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi condemned the Jenin attack, calling on the international community to pressure Tel Aviv to stop its strikes before the situation “explodes.”
In a telephone conversation with Palestinian Authority Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh, Safadi said, “The repeated Israeli attacks on Palestinian cities will only contribute to increasing tension, which is also fueled by illegal Israeli measures that undermine the two-state solution and kill hope in the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive peace.”