EU Envoy Criticizes Israel’s Use of Force in Jenin Operation, Accuses of Violating International Law
A European Union envoy has criticized Israel for the “proportionality” of the force it used in its recent military operation in Jenin. The envoy, Sven Kuehn von Burgsdorff, led a delegation of UN officials and diplomats from 25 countries to the refugee camp in the West Bank following the raid.
The comments from the EU envoy echoed those of UN chief Antonio Guterres, who on Thursday stated that there was excessive force used by Israeli forces during the operation. The 48-hour operation, which included air strikes and bulldozers ripping up streets, resulted in the death of 12 Palestinians, with Israel claiming they were all combatants. However, some of the injured were non-combatants, according to the IDF. One Israeli soldier was also killed.
Jenin is known for the activities of Palestinian terror groups, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has referred to the refugee camp as a “terrorist nest.”
During the delegation’s visit to the camp, residents showed the damage caused by Israeli rockets, and local authorities tested a new camp-wide alarm system to warn of future raids.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have been high in the West Bank, with nightly raids and a series of deadly terror attacks. Since the beginning of the year, Palestinian attacks have killed 25 people, while 148 West Bank Palestinians have been killed, according to The Times of Israel.
The recent raid severely damaged the infrastructure of the Jenin camp. Water and sewage pipes, as well as houses and schools, were destroyed. The camp, one of the poorest and most densely populated in the West Bank, is home to around 18,000 people.
UN officials have made a plea for funds to help rebuild the camp, stating that their appeal is desperately underfunded. Algeria has already announced $30 million to support the reconstruction of Jenin, and the United Arab Emirates has pledged $15 million.
The EU envoy and UN officials called for an end to the cycle of violence and urged Israel to find a political solution to the conflict. They warned that without a resolution, the situation in the region will remain unchanged.