Palestine suspends all forms of coordination with Israel after Jenin raid

The Palestinian Authority has decided to suspend all forms of contact and security coordination with Israel after the Israeli army raided the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

"The Palestinian leadership decides to stop all contacts and meetings with the Israeli side and to continue with halting the security coordination in response to the Israeli aggression on Jenin," said Palestinian presidency spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh following a meeting of the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah on Monday.

He added that all recent understandings and commitments with Israel reached at the Aqaba and Sharm El Sheikh meetings "no longer exist."

The meetings were held on Feb. 26 and March 19, respectively, to restore calm across the Palestinian territories.

Earlier, Palestine condemned the Israeli military as a "new war crime" against Palestinians.

"What the Israeli occupation government is doing in the city of Jenin and its camp is a new war crime against our defenceless people," Abu Rudeineh said in a statement.

"The Palestinian people will not surrender or raise the white flag, but will remain steadfast on their land in the face of this brutal aggression until the occupation is defeated and freedom is achieved," he added.

At least nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire early Monday, including eight in Jenin, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. At least 50 Palestinians were also injured.

Abu Rudeineh said "crimes" committed by Israel and settlers "will not achieve security and stability for them unless our Palestinian people also feel them."

He also called on the international community “to break its shameful silence and take serious action to compel Israel to stop its aggression against our Palestinian people, and to hold it accountable for all these crimes.”

'Barbaric aggression'

For its part, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry termed the Jenin raid as a “barbaric aggression”, saying it was part of Israel’s official policy “of using military force in dealing with the defenceless Palestinian people as an alternative to political solutions to the conflict."

The ministry called for urgent international action to "immediately stop the aggression,” and urged the International Criminal Court “to break its silence and start holding the Israel war criminals accountable.”

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said the "military operation" was focused on the Jenin refugee camp and was “part of a series of actions that we carry out and will continue to carry out.”

OIC condemns Israeli raid

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday also condemned the Israeli raid in the Palestinian city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank.

“This heinous crime constitutes an extension of crimes and organised state terrorism practised by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people,” the OIC said in a statement.

The Jeddah-based grouping held Israel responsible for the "repercussions" of the incident that "calls for investigation and accountability.”

The OIC called on the UN Security Council to “take responsibility, enforce its relevant resolutions, put an end to this continuous Israeli terrorism, and provide protection for the Palestinian people.”

Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank in recent months amid repeated Israeli raids into Palestinian towns.

Nearly 190 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of this year, according to the Health Ministry. At least 25 Israelis have also been killed in separate attacks during the same period.