Palestinian militants launch a rocket from the Jenin area
The brazen attack by militants on IDF forces and a military chopper in the Jenin refugee camp last week and Monday's successful rocket launch by Hamas operatives in Jenin indicate security forces are facing new challenges that would compound them to take action, leading Israel closer to a large-scale military operation.
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Hamas posted a video showing a rocket being fired from the area of the West Bank city towards northern Israel. It landed short of the border and had a very small warhead, but it was still seen as a moral victory for the Palestinians and came days after militants managed to hit an IDF chopper deployed to assist forces in the city's refugee camp after their APC was disabled by an explosive device.
The need for a special military offensive in the northern West Bank was raised after a fatal terror attack near the settlement of Eli last week. But in its plans, the military was not considering anything beyond a limited operation to disrupt terror infrastructure and would see troops enter specific areas for no longer than 48 hours.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant along with senior officers in the IDF, last week opposed a military offensive but after the latest developments, the possibility was once more being considered. The military has deployed a large number of infantry forces to the West Bank and along the partition fence, some with particular training needed for such offensive actions, and has also deployed special forces units to the area.
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