(Washington Post) Miriam Berger - For the past two weeks, the militants of Jenin refugee camp have been locked in a rare, open battle with the Palestinian Authority, which has launched its largest and most heavily armed operation in its three decades to thwart a growing West Bank insurgency against the Palestinian leadership. It's trying to prove it can manage security in the areas of the West Bank it controls as it seeks to also govern a postwar Gaza. But two weeks into the crackdown, militants still roam freely in the Jenin camp. Gunfire rings out day and night. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out the PA's return to Gaza, but in the latest round of ceasefire negotiations, Israel has agreed to let the authority take over administration of the Rafah border between Gaza and Egypt for a short period, according to a former Egyptian official. The U.S. and EU have invested heavily in reforming and training the Palestinian security forces. Former militants were offered positions in the security forces if they turned in their guns.
2024-12-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive