Rocket launched from Jenin area as Israel inches closer to offensive measures

Rocket launched from Jenin area as Israel inches closer to offensive measures

Reuters

The Israeli military said a rocket was launched from the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Monday, causing no reported injuries. It said it landed in Palestinian territory.

"The rocket did not pose a threat to communities in the area," a statement from the military said.

Earlier on Monday, a Telegram group aired footage of what it claimed to be the launch, saying it was aimed at a Jewish community just south of Afula in northern Israel. A sign that appeared in the video said that this was a "Qassam 1" rocket and that the next projectile will have a heavier payload.The group called itself the Ayash Brigades, and is linked to Hamas. . The IDF said it was investigating the incident. Over the years, despite multiple flare-ups in Gaza that involved massive rocket fire from Palestinian terrorist groups on Israel, such activity has not taken place in Judea and Samaria largely because of successful counterterrorism efforts.

According to a preliminary investigation, the rocket managed to reach a distance of about 300 feet. Officials in the defense establishment say that terrorists in Judea and Samaria have tried to lay their hands on rockets for some time in order to emulate the effect Gaza and Lebanon groups have on Israelis, forcing them into shelters when they fire volleys. However, the Israeli security control of Judea and Samaria and the intelligence reach of the the Shin Bet security agency on terrorist elements have so far prevented this from materializing.

The conventional wisdom is that the attempted launch and continued efforts to put Israeli communities in northern and central Israel part of the range of terrorists will draw Israel closer to a military offensive against terrorist groups in Palestinian cities in the West Bank. This is the second such attempt to fire from Jenin. The first one several weeks ago prompted a statement from Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who said Israel will not allow terrorists to turn cities in the north such as Afula to become targets for rocket projectiles.

Meanwhile, the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terrorist group said its fighters shot down on Monday an Israeli drone that was flying near the border and over southern Lebanon.

The group gave no further details about the type of drone that it claimed was downed near the village of Zibqine just north of the border with Israel. There was no immediate comment from Israel.