Palestinian Authority struggles to stay relevant as it cracks down on Jenin fighters

For more than a week, the Palestinian Authority’s security forces have continued their security campaign in the Jenin refugee camp, in the northern West Bank.

The operation, launched on 14 December, aims to assert control over armed groups in the camp, particularly members of the Jenin Battalion.

Clashes have been ongoing between the armed youth of the battalion and members of the security forces, who have imposed a siege and closed the camp’s entrances.

Living conditions have deteriorated for camp residents, who have been left without water, electricity or the ability to move freely.

The camp’s residents, who have long served as a popular base of support for the battalion, maintain that the PA's campaign serves Israeli desires to pacify the West Bank and shut down hubs of resistance to the occupation.

It coincides with an ongoing Israeli land grab in the West Bank, with settlement expansion continuing in areas nominally with shared authority between Israel and the PA.

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