Mohammed Mar'i Saudi Gazette RAMALLAH – A senior Palestinian official on Sunday said that the Palestinian security forces will continue its operations to regain control of the problematic refugee camp and villages in Jenin area. Talal Dwaikat, the Jenin's Governor, said that the arrest operation that began on Wednesday in villages, in Jenin refugee camp, and in some of the city of Jenin's neighborhoods. He added that hundreds of soldiers from the Brigade 9 and special operation units were searching for fugitives. The Palestinian Authority security forces rarely enter refugee camps for fear of causing violent clashes. Dwaikat that dozens of Palestinian fugitives, including Islamic Jihad members, were arrested in the operation. The governor said that the central goal of the crackdown was “to serve Palestinian citizens and to protect their interests.” He added that the campaign was not related to Palestinian political factions or political infighting. Instead, he said, it was aimed at tackling disorder in the area, which had arisen following the death of a Palestinian last month by Israel security forces during clashes in Jenin.
Islam Al-Toubasi was killed when security forces entered Jenin on a security raid to arrest him. Upon their arrival, Israeli soldiers encountered a riot in which gunmen opened fire on troops and Molotov cocktails and homemade grenades were hurled by Palestinians. The Islamic Jihad issued a statement mourning Toubasi as one of its members. Palestinian security sources say that militants from President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad are operating in the refugee camp in Jenin and are undermining stability in the city. Israel gives the Palestinian forces a carte blanche to operate in Area A cities to enable the PA to break away from an image that it operate on Israel's behalf and per its request. Israeli army regional commanders meet with their Palestinian counterparts on a monthly basis but lower-level commanders speak almost daily via the Israeli Civil Administration. According to the Oslo Agreement, Area A is under Palestinian administrative and security control, Area B under Palestinian administrative control but under Israeli security one, the Area C is under full Israeli control. Area C, which today constitutes about 60 percent of West Bank land, is a geographic area created in negotiations between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization in 1995. It was to cease existence as an administrative category by 1998.
