Updated 19:44 IST, January 21st 2025
Israel Launches 'Iron Wall' Operation, Forces Enter Jenin for Major Counter-Terror Assault
IDF launches massive "Iron Wall" operation in Jenin, northern Samaria, involving soldiers, Shin Bet, and Border Police to dismantle terrorist infrastructure.

Jerusalem: The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon that Israeli security forces had begun a massive operation to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in Jenin, northern Samaria.
According to the military, the operation, known as the "Iron Wall," consists of IDF soldiers, Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) officials, and Border Police.
The IDF entered Jenin immediately after Palestinian Authority (P.A.) police officers vacated the area, according to reports from Arab media outlets. This move comes after Ramallah reportedly struck a deal with the Iranian-backed Jenin Battalion terror coalition, ending a rare month-long P.A. operation in the city.
Israeli ground forces reportedly entered with the stated goal of ensuring that Jerusalem retains its ability to act swiftly against terrorist groups in Jenin. The city is known among Palestinians as the "Martyrs’ Capital," owing to its history of producing a significant number of suicide bombers.
Palestinian media cited the P.A. Health Ministry, claiming that one person was killed in an airstrike shortly after the operation began. Further reports from Arab media indicated that there were also injuries resulting from firefights throughout the city.
On Monday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi instructed the military to prepare for counter-terrorism operations throughout Judea and Samaria. This came in response to a rise in terror activity following the recent ceasefire in Gaza.
"In addition to the intense defensive preparations in the Gaza Strip, we must be prepared for significant operations in Judea and Samaria in the coming days in order to get ahead of and catch the terrorists before they reach our citizens," Halevi stated after a situational assessment.
Halevi’s remarks followed an attack earlier when one IDF soldier was killed and four others, one seriously injured, by a roadside bomb in the Arab village of Tammun, located northeast of Nablus (Shechem) in Samaria.
Concerns are growing in Jerusalem regarding the release of hundreds of Palestinian terrorists as part of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Many of these individuals are set to return to Judea, Samaria, and eastern Jerusalem, prompting fears that their return could trigger further terror in the region.
Published 19:44 IST, January 21st 2025