Israeli forces raid home of Gilboa prison breaker in Jenin

Israeli forces conducted a series of raids across the Northern West Bank on Thursday morning, arresting at least one Palestinian in Nablus.

Israeli raids included the house of Ayham Kamamji’s family in the town of Kufr Dan, West of Jenin. Kamamji is one of the six Palestinians who escaped from the Israeli prison of Gilboa in early September.

According to Fouad Kamamji, Ayham’s father, Israeli troops, including special forces, came in large numbers and broke two doors.

The early morning raids startled sleeping family members, including five children, all of whom were awoken. Kamamji affirmed that Israeli forces made no arrests from the family but interrogated two of his sons.

“The two of them have been arrested in the past. One of them spent 19 days in interrogation at Al Jalameh detention centre following the escape of Ayham from Gilboa”, Fouad Kamamji explained. “The Israeli soldiers interrogated my sons in the kitchen, away from us. Then they threatened them in front of all the family, that if they engage in the slightest form of activism they will be arrested, and might even get killed”.

Repeated raids

Israeli forces have repeatedly conducted raids in the Jenin area since the Gilboa prison break, often clashing with armed Palestinians.

Last week, Israeli forces raided the town of Burqin, south of Jenin and killed a 22-year-old Palestinian. Qaher Abed, the regional secretary of the Fatah movement in west Jenin, told The New Arab that “Israeli raids are a form of revenge after the Gilboa escape, especially to the homes of the escapees”.

According to Abed, Israeli forces clash with young Palestinians in the Jenin area almost every night. “These are no longer isolated cases. They are a phenomenon of a generation that is willing to confront Israeli raids at any cost. And as raids continue, tension continues to rise,” Abed added, noting Israeli forces have increased arrests of Palestinians in the Jenin governorate in recent weeks. 

Late on Thursday, Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian in his twenties from the town of Qabatia, near Jenin, on the Jalamah checkpoint north of the city. On Wednesday, Israeli undercover forces also abducted a Palestinian in Jenin city.

Fouad Kamamji described the continuous raids and arrests as “attempts to remind us that the occupation is still around. Currently, my biggest wish is to have all of my sons together at home, out of prison”, he said. “I’ve been waiting for this reunion for more than twenty years”.

#Palestine - A special unit of the Israeli occupation army disguised as Arabs kidnap the Palestinian "Islam Al-Qanbaa" from #Jenin. #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/mqhgdKuCYE

— Shehab (@ShehabPal) October 6, 2021