Armed members of Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades have exchanged gunfire with Palestinian Authority police forces in Jenin since Monday afternoon, Palestinian sources reported.
No injuries have been reported in the fighting, which took place near a Jenin refugee camp.
The gun battles erupted following an argument between PA officers and armed gunmen, mainly Islamic Jihad members, regarding Monday’s suicide bombing attack inNetanya, which was carried out by a Jihad member.
Police officers attempted to arrest a Jihad member, who tried to escape to the nearby refugee camp. Al-Aqsa and other Jihad members followed in an effort to help the fleeing gunman, and proceeded to open fire at the PA officers; exchanges of fire ensued, and the gunmen made their way to the Muqata compound, which contains the PA’s governing offices in the city.
Notably, a short while after the Netanya attack senior al-Aqsa member Zakaria Zubeidi, wanted member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, praised Islamic Jihad’s “heroic” act, warning the Palestinian Authority not to crack down on Islamic Jihad members.
“Whoever condemns this attack should protect the Palestinian people from the occupation forces spread in our towns and villages. The Islamic Jihad today defended the legitimate right of our people to oppose the occupation and react to the terror crimes of the Israelis,” Zubeidi said.