Palestinian eyewitness reports contradict Canadian allegations about IDF committing a “massacre” in Jenin

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Palestinian youths in Jenin gather close to the crossfire between the IDF and Palestinian militants (Jan 26, 2023). Photo by the IDF spokesman

The Coalition of Canadian Palestinian Organizations (CCPO) states it “consists of 21 non-partisan and not-for-profit Canadian Palestinian organizations from coast-to-coast across Canada, united nationally on protecting Palestinian human rights in Canada and abroad. The Coalition operates in 12 major cities and focuses its projects on two fields: Humanitarian projects and Political advocacy.”

According to a CCPO official document:

CCPO Members:

  • Arab Palestine Association of Ontario
  • Palestine House – Toronto
  • Canadian Arab Forum of BC [British Columbia]
  • Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians – APAC
  • Fondation canado-palestinienne du Québec
  • Canada Palestine Cultural Association
  • Canadian Palestinian Social Association London-Ontario
  • The Canadian Palestinian Council
  • Human Without Borders – HWB
  • Palestinian Association of Brantford
  • Atlantic Canada Palestinian Society
  • Canadian Arab Society of London
  • Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba – CPAM
  • Palestinian Association of Hamilton – PAH
  • Palestinian House Association – PHA

Project Based [Groups]:

  • Ottawa Run for Palestine
  • Canadian Palestinian Professional Foundation – CPPF
  • Run for Palestine Edmonton
  • Canada Palestine Cultural Foundation – CANPAL
  • Canadian Palestinian Research Center
  • Jerusalem Sports & Social Club Canada

Allies:

  • Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East – CJPME
  • Canadian Arab Institute
  • Independent Jewish Voices – IJV

On January 26, 2023, the Coalition of the Canadian Palestinian Organizations issued the following statement:

Press Release: Calling on the Canadian government to hold Israel accountable for violence and human rights violations

The Coalition of the Canadian Palestinian Organizations strongly condemn the bloody massacre committed by the Israeli Army against the Palestinians in Jenin Refugee Camp. Today, on January 26, 2023, the Israeli army committed another crime against humanity by killing 10 innocent Palestinian refugees in the Jenin refugee camp. This is now considered one of the deadliest and most extensive operations in years. The Israeli forces invaded the camp with the aim to kill, as most of the murdered were shot directly in the head or chest. Israeli troops prevented ambulances and medical aid from entering the refugee camp to provide assistance. The occupation forces also stormed a hospital with tear gas, causing suffocation to dozens of children. Furthermore, journalists were prevented from entering the camp. Palestinians living under the Israeli apartheid regime have been forcibly displaced from their homes and are living in subhuman conditions in refugee camps.

The Canadian government, an advocate for human rights, has been standing in full support of this apartheid state by refusing to adopt and accept the important findings made in the reports issued by various international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Additionally, the Canadian government has been standing against any fruitful attempts made by the Palestinians to achieve justice through international law at ICC and the UN.

The Coalition of the Canadian Palestinian Organizations demands that the Canadian government hold Israel accountable and accept all human rights reports and support Palestinian efforts at the UN and the ICC. In remaining silent, Canada condones acts of violence and human rights violations.

Israeli security forces conducted an intel-based counterterrorism operation to apprehend an Islamic Jihad terrorist squad”

IDF’s [Israel Defence Forces] statement on January 26, 2023:

IDF & Israeli security forces conducted an intel-based counterterrorism operation to apprehend an Islamic Jihad terrorist squad in the Jenin Camp.

The terrorists were heavily involved in planning & executing multiple major terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians & soldiers.

The terrorist squad opened fire on the security forces, instigating a crossfire during which three terrorists were neutralized.

The security forces operated to surround the building in which the suspects were located. Two armed suspects were identified fleeing the scene & were neutralized, while another suspect in the building surrendered himself to security forces.

An armed suspect was neutralized by the soldiers at the scene, where armed suspects opened fire toward the security forces, who responded with live fire. Hits were identified. Claims regarding additional casualties during the exchange of fire are being looked into.

The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) reported (originally in Hebrew):

On January 26, 2023, in the morning hours, Israeli security forces entered the Jenin refugee camp to arrest wanted Islamic Jihad operatives in Palestine, who were involved in shooting operations against the army and planning to carry out an imminent large-scale attack. During the forces’ activity, they encountered fierce resistance, including massive shootings. Nine Palestinians were killed in the exchange of fire: three Islamic Jihad operatives in Palestine and another Islamic Jihad operative died of his wounds two days later. Two of the dead were activists of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, and one was a police officer. It was an unusual operation in terms of the number of Palestinian casualties. However, a senior IDF officer pointed out that the high number of deaths was because of the threat posed to the forces in the battlefield and not because of a change in the IDF’s rules of engagement policy.

Excerpts from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades’s military statement on the battle in Jenin

[Title:] Our fighters confronted the Zionist enemy forces that stormed the Jenin refugee camp.
By Allah’s grace, strength, help, support, and victory, we announce that our fighters were able to detect the Zionist special force infiltrating the Jenin camp under cover of a large dairy truck near the home of the martyr Alaa Al-Sabbagh, where our armed martyr Izz A-Din Salahat spotted them. Before they came out [of the truck], he opened fire at them from zero distance. They [Al-Aqsa Brigades’ fighters] entrapped them in a narrow field of fire. They showered them with intense and concentrated hail of gunfire, which led to the death of the destined-to-hell commander of the Yamam unit [Israel’s national counter-terrorism unit] Avi Cohen, and the wounding of many soldiers this morning, Thursday, corresponding to January 26, 2023.
Our resistance fighters also targeted the jeep of the commander of the West Bank division in the Zionist enemy army, Avi Balut, during the storming of the Jenin camp, causing injuries.
Our heroic fighters engaged in violent clashes with the Zionist army forces that stormed the courageous Jenin camp, targeting them with heavy and direct gunfire and dozens of high-explosive devices, forcing the cowardly enemy to flee and withdraw from our proud and steadfast Jenin camp.

Excerpts from a military statement of Al-Quds Brigades, the Jenin Battalion:

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Beneficent. And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allāh as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision [Quran 2:169].

A military statement issued by the Al-Quds Brigades – Jenin Brigade.

With great pride, the Al-Quds Brigades, the Jenin Battalion, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine and the Burqin Group, escort [to their marriage in paradise] a group of its heroic fighters, namely: the martyr leader Muhammad Mahmoud Subh, the martyr fighter Mohammad Sami Ghoneim and the martyr fighter Nour Sami Ghoneim, from the fighters of the Burqin groups that had showed courage in the field of resistance and jihad.

The Zionist occupation forces, at exactly 7:00 am today, Thursday, January 26, 2023, stormed the steadfast Jenin camp, besieged a house, and inside it was a group of our heroic Mujahideen [jihad fighters] who confronted the criminal occupation forces, which targeted the house with missiles and bombs, which led to the death of a group of our mujahideen and heroic fighters from the al-Quds Brigades and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
Our Mujahideen in the Jenin Brigade and the fighters of our people confronted the occupation forces and its special forces on more than one area (Harat Al-Hawashin, Jurah Al-Dhahab and Al-Saha area) from the first moment, and a fierce battle took place in which our Mujahideen used explosive devices, bombs and guided bombs, and heavy gunfire, which led to certain injuries among the occupation forces and damage to 6 military jeeps and a truck carrying the special forces.

Our victorious battalion was also able to shoot down a drone that was used by the occupation forces to photograph and drop bombs on our people, which has become in the hands of the Mujahideen of the Jenin Battalion, and a security check is underway on it… Our guns are ready and our struggle continues. It is a struggle of victory or martyrdom. Al-Quds Brigades – Jenin Battalion. Thursday 1-26-2023 AD.

Palestinian reports in real time on Jenin – the Resistance (جنين المقاومة) Telegram channel (January 26, 2023):

[1] Violent clashes inside the Jenin camp after Israeli special forces were spotted.

[2] Violent clashes between the resistance and the occupation forces stormed the Jenin camp.

[3] Military reinforcements arrive in Jenin camp after the resistance fighters spotted Israeli special forces.

[4] Clashes continue between the resistance fighters and the occupation forces after they stormed the Jenin camp.

[5] After storming the Jenin camp, there were explosions and violent clashes between resistance fighters and the occupation forces.

[6] Jenin mosques call to confront the occupation army.

[7] Resistance fighters target the occupation vehicles with homemade explosive charges during their storming of Jenin camp.

[8] The resistance groups continue to confront the occupation forces in Jenin camp and detonate several explosive devices directed at its vehicles.

[9] Al-Quds Brigades – Jenin Brigade: With Allah’s help and success, it was possible to target the occupation forces in the camp with heavy gunfire and explosive devices, achieving direct hits.

[10] The Israeli army tow a special forces vehicle [truck] after it broke down during violent clashes with fighters in Jenin.

[11] Clashes broke out between young men and the occupation forces, who stormed Jenin camp.

[12] The resistance downed a drone belonging to the occupation army during the continuous storming of Jenin camp.

[13] Al-Quds Brigades – Jenin Brigade: Our Mujahideen direct heavy and successive heavy gunfire at a vehicle of the occupying forces, hitting it directly.

[14] Al-Quds Brigades – Jenin Brigade: Our Mujahideen detonate several explosive devices directed at the occupation vehicles, achieving direct casualties.

[15] Al-Quds Brigades – Jenin Brigade: With Allah’s help and strength, our Mujahideen could target with gunfire a house in which several occupation soldiers gathered, causing direct casualties in their ranks.

[16] Violent confrontations continue between resistance fighters and the occupation forces in Jenin.

[17] Al-Quds Brigades – Jenin Brigade: With Allah’s help and success, our Mujahideen can target with heavy gunfire a position of the occupation snipers.

[18] Al-Quds Brigades – Jenin Brigade: During the continuous response, our Mujahideen are engaged in a fierce clash with a special force in the vicinity of a house, targeting it with a heavy barrage of bullets and explosive devices from zero distance.

[19] Al-Quds Brigades – Jenin Brigade: In response to the aggression…. our Mujahideen detonate an explosive device directed at a jeep of the occupation forces, around which several soldiers gathered, causing certain casualties in their ranks.

Palestinian casualties by Israeli security forces and during the crossfire with the Palestinian terrorists:

  • Izz A-Din Yassin Salahat (عز الدين ياسين صلاحات) – 22 year-old man. An Operative of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah movement (Canada-designated terrorist organization).
  • Mu’tasim Mahmoud Abu Al-Hassan (معتصم محمود أبو الحسن) – 40 year-old man. An Operative of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah movement (Canada-designated terrorist organization).
  • Nour A-Din Sami Ghoneim (نور الدين سامي غنيم) – 25 year-old man. An Operative of the Islamic Jihad (Canada-designated terrorist organization).
  • Mohammad Sami Ghoneim (محمد سامي غنيم) – 28 year-old man. An Operative of the Islamic Jihad (Canada-designated terrorist organization).
  • Mohammad Mahmoud Subh (محمد محمود صبح) – 30 year-old man. An Operative of the Islamic Jihad (Canada-designated terrorist organization).
  • Omar Tareq A-Sa’adi (عمر طارق السعدي) – 24 year-old man. An Operative of the Islamic Jihad/ Al-Qassam Brigades – Hamas (Canada-designated terrorist organizations).
  • Abdallah Marwan Al-Ghol (عبد الله مروان الغول) – 18 year-old man.
  • Wasim Amjad Aref Al-Ja’s (وسيم أمجد عارف الجعص) – 22-year-old man.
  • Majdah Abd Al-Fattah Obeid (ماجدة عبد الفتاح محمود عبيد) – 61 year-old woman.
  • Daeb Issam Mahmoud Zreiqi (صائب عصام محمود زريقي) – 24 year-old man.

The funeral of Palestinians killed in Jenin (January 26, 2023). The crowd chants: “Allah is our objective; the Prophet [Mohammad] is our leader; the Quran is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.”