Palestinian Authority and Jenin Battalion Makes a Deal: Report

Jenin, MINA – The Palestinian Authority (PA) has reached a deal with the Jenin Battalion to end fighting with the Palestinian resistance group in the occupied West Bank, The Times of Israel reported, citing an unnamed Palestinian official, Al Jazeera reported.

According to the report, engineering and civil defense crews will begin dismantling explosives planted around the camp and beneath its streets by the resistance group.

PA security forces have spent weeks cracking down on the Jenin Battalion, which is made up of fighters affiliated with Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, in the city of Jenin and the Jenin refugee camp.

The operation, dubbed “Operation Protect the Homeland,” focused on wresting control of the area from the battalion’s fighters, whom the PA described as “outlaws.”

PA security forces have surrounded the camp, cut off water and electricity, and arrested many people. At least 15 people have also been killed in the clashes, including six PA security officers, one Palestinian fighter, and eight civilians.

We reported on Tuesday that the Jenin Battalion announced it had agreed to a ceasefire to “end the bloodshed and preserve the Palestinian national order” while maintaining its “legitimate right to resist the criminal occupation.”

The previous talks reportedly collapsed following an Israeli airstrike on the Jenin camp this week that killed 12 people, The Times of Israel reported, citing two Palestinian officials. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)