Israeli forces have withdrawn from Jenin after a nine-day operation that left 36 Palestinians dead and widespread destruction. The operation, one of the largest in the West Bank in years, targeted militants in the Jenin refugee camp and city.
The Israeli military says it was acting against terrorism, but the Palestinian health ministry reports that children are among the dead. Fighting in Jenin killed an Israeli soldier.
Residents of the refugee camp are emerging from their homes, stunned and exhausted, to assess the damage. The Israeli army destroyed Khalid Abu Sabeer’s basement apartment when they blew up a nearby cave. “They told me to leave before they blew it up,” he said. “But my home was destroyed along with it.”
Mustafa Antir described the intense attacks: “It was impossible to tell where it was coming from – explosions, drones, shooting. You can’t imagine how heavy it was.”
The operation has added to the destruction in Jenin, where years of conflict have left bullet holes and rubble. Shop owners and residents are now inspecting the damage and beginning to rebuild.
The head of Jenin’s government hospital, Dr. Wissam Bakr, said the first four days of the operation were the hardest, with power and water supplies cut. “We were relying on generators and water tanks,” he said.
Funerals are taking place for the dead, including a 16-year-old girl. A Palestinian fighter spoke defiantly at one funeral: “When you see the Israelis kill your brother, how do you stay sitting and looking at all of this?”
The Israeli military says it eliminated 14 terrorists and dismantled terror infrastructure sites during the operation. But the Palestinian health ministry reports that over 600 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since Hamas attacked Israel last October.
The violence continues, with three Palestinians killed in the southern governorate of Hebron in recent days. Israel says it is trying to stem deadly Palestinian attacks, but the cycle of violence shows no signs of ending.
