[25][26][15][27] The PA called it "Operation Protect the Homeland"[c] and said it was launched in order to "eradicate sedition and chaos" in the West Bank,[27] portraying militants as agents of instability that are indirectly aiding the Israeli far-right, which has sought to weaken the PA.[28][13] The operation marked the largest and most violent confrontation that the PA has had with West Bank militants,[29][30] and analysts have referred to the events as "the most fierce" inter-Palestinian fighting since the 2007 Battle of Gaza.
[31] It also marked the first time in several years that PA forces conducted a large-scale incursion into the militant-controlled[17][32][33] Jenin refugee camp,[34][35] where most of the fighting has been concentrated.
[40][41][42] The PA, widely perceived as ineffective,[43][44] has been also been seeking to bolster its credibility as an administration capable of strong governance and suppressing militants.
The PA also contacted the United States, briefing the Joe Biden administration and advisers of American president-elect Donald Trump about their plans and requesting military assistance.
[2] PA security forces launched a large-scale incursion into the Jenin refugee camp for the first time in several years, seizing and dismantling IEDs and detaining several militants.
[34] Israeli media reported that Abbas ordered security forces not to leave Jenin until they "resolve the situation", and that Israel warned the Palestinian Authority that the operation was "proceeding too slowly and on too small a scale".
[52] That night, civilians demonstrated in favor of the Jenin Brigades, and security forces stationed near the city's Shifa Hospital opened fire on the crowd, causing injuries.
[52][54] The United States asked Israel to urgently approve a supply of equipment and ammunition for the PA forces operating in Jenin.
[60] UNRWA reported that it no longer had control over its Jenin health center due to the presence of "Palestinian armed actors".
[62] Fatah accused Al Jazeera of sowing division "in our Arab homeland in general and in Palestine in particular," and called on Palestinians to avoid cooperating with the network.
[66] An Israeli Air Force aircraft bombed the Jenin camp, killing six Palestinians, including civilians[6] and at least four militants.
[6] The Palestinian Authority and the Jenin Brigades reached an agreement to end the fighting, following the resumption of negotiations a day before and an extensive meeting between militia representatives, community leaders, and security officials.
[74] The operation left the Jenin refugee camp under siege, with no movement in or out, cuts to electricity and water, and ambulances unable to enter or exit.
[20] Internet videos surfaced showing PA forces beating and torturing Palestinians who expressed opposition to the Jenin operation on social media.
The crackdown spread to areas outside of Jenin as well, with one Palestinian activist in Artas near Bethlehem reporting that security forces had raided his home and insulted his family in response to his criticism of the operation.
[75] A team from the Palestine Red Crescent Society testified to being detained, beaten and interrogated by PA forces for two and a half days while they were trying to deliver medications to besieged families.
[76] After the attempted ceasefire failed to hold, local sources reported on 20 January 2025 that PA forces were setting fire to various houses in the Jenin camp.