Israeli forces invaded Jenin refugee camp located in the northern West Bank city of Jenin and the nearby Al Mothalath village on Monday at dawn. Fierce clashes erupted between local youth and the invading troops.
The invasion started when a massive Israeli army force with one army bulldozer stormed Jenin refugee camp. Local resistance fighters clashed with the invading troops and soldiers responded by firing randomly at residents' homes.
During the invasion of the camp Israeli soldiers searched and ransacked a number of homes. No abductions were made by the army, local sources reported.
At the same time, another Israeli force with two bulldozers invaded Al Mothalath village located to the west of Jenin city. Israeli military vehicles were deployed all over the village, soldiers then began a wide scale search campaign that lasted for several hours. During the search, soldiers used roof tops as shot-out posts, eyewitnesses reported.
Local youth took to the streets and clashed with the army using rocks and empty glass bottles; Israeli forces responded by firing live rounds and tear gas bombs at them. Later, the Israeli troops surrounded the house of the Samer As'assa, claiming that he is 'wanted' by the Israeli authorities. Samer was not at his house but the soldiers forces his family out then attacked the house and searched it. Even after troops were sure that Samer was not in his home, soldiers opened fire inside the house and detonated several bombs leading to the damage of the family's belongings.
Samer's father lost consciousness during the army's attack on the house and was moved to a nearby hospital.
The Israeli army stated that the invasion of Jenin district today was aimed at targeting and abducting what the army calls 'wanted' Palestinians. Palestinian sources stated that the army did not manage to abduct any of the 'wanted'. Instead, soldiers abducted five civilians and took them to unknown detention camps.
