20 bombs found near West Bank settlement ahead of PA's Jenin operation
A captured terror activist admitted the bombs were intended for terror attacks • Meanwhile, in Egypt, concern was expressed about the volatile situation in the West Bank territories
One of the reasons for the operation by the Palestinian Authority in the northern West Bank's Jenin was the discovery of 20 heavy bombs hidden in the village of Beit Furik, close to the settlement of Itamar, by Palestinian security forces.
A captured terrorist confessed during an investigation that he and his colleagues planned a series of bombings in settlements in Nablus and in the Jordan Valley area.
Meanwhile, Egypt expressed concern after the violence and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas authorizing a significant operation to root out terrorists in the Jenin area. Egypt fears refugee camps throughout the West Bank may rise up against the Authority. The PA's ruling Fatah Party also appealed to Abbas, claiming that he was "banging his head against the wall" and insisting on operating in Jenin by force alone and rejecting dialogue.
Abbas recently replaced the commander in charge of Jenin, appointing one of his trusted men in his place. In addition, he appointed several people from the presidential guard to key roles in the Palestinian security mechanisms. On the other hand, terror organizations in Jenin have recently recruited nearly a hundred additional terrorists in the backdrop of increasing incitement against the Palestinian Authority.
i24NEWS writer Baruch Yadid said that Abbas is acting out of two considerations. The first is that he wants to present a vision of coordination with the beginning of US President Donald Trump's second tenure. The second reason is his fear that an internal uprising, like what happened in Syria, will also reach territories under his control.