Deadly Israeli attack on Jenin leads to mass displacement and destruction | Israel-Palestine conflict news
Israeli forces continue to launch deadly attacks in Jenin, the occupied West Bank, destroying infrastructure and displacing some 2,000 families.
Wednesday's operation, which included bulldozing main streets, came a day after ground and air attacks in Jenin province killed at least 10 people.
Agence France-Presse quoted Jenin Governor Kamal Abu Roub as saying that the situation in Jenin was “very difficult.”
“The occupation forces bulldozed all the roads leading to the Jenin (refugee) camp and the Jenin government hospital. … There were shootings and explosions,” he added.
Israeli forces also detained about 20 people from villages near Jenin, al-Rub reported.
The Israeli military said in a statement on Wednesday it carried out airstrikes on “terror infrastructure sites”, adding that “a large number of explosives placed along the route” had been “defused”.
“Israeli forces are continuing operations,” it added.
Jenin resident Adel Bescher told Al Jazeera he had to spend the night in the hospital courtyard because he could not return home during the Israeli operation.
“Although my house is 200 meters (220 yards) away, I cannot reach it. Many people were injured, including doctors, nurses and patients,” he said.
“There were three or four other people injured near my house, but no one could save them. The Israeli army shot anyone who came near them. Two people were injured during the rescue.”
Israeli forces have carried out numerous attacks and large-scale incursions in Jenin in recent years, and the operation came just days after a ceasefire came into effect in the Gaza Strip, underscoring the threat of more violence in the West Bank.
The Israeli action follows a week-long operation by Palestinian Authority security forces to regain control of the city of Jenin and its refugee camps.
Yesterday, Israeli security forces #jenincamp and cities, using advanced weapons and methods of warfare, including air strikes. At least ten Palestinians were killed and more than 40 injured. The surgery is expected to last several days. (1/3)
— Roland Friedrich (@GRFriedrich) January 22, 2025
Last week, Israeli airstrikes on refugee camps killed at least three Palestinians and injured many others.
The West Bank director of UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, said the Jenin refugee camp was “almost uninhabitable”.
“About 2,000 families have been displaced since mid-December. UNRWA is currently unable to provide full services to the camps,” Roland Friedrich said on X.
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, condemned what she called Israel's “death machine” and its attack on Jenin.
“Israel's genocide against Palestinians will not be limited to Gaza if it is not forced to stop. Mark my words,” she said on X.
Watch: Israeli forces abducted several young men and tortured them near the Al-Awda roundabout in Jenin. pic.twitter.com/t2nmz6MxF3
— QudsNen (@QudsNen) January 22, 2025
attack elsewhere
Israeli forces also raided the town of Deir Samit, west of Hebron, attacking the homes of prisoners scheduled to be released as part of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The military also raided the Aida camp in Bethlehem in the south, launching a mass arrest operation.
Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli forces tightened security at most entrances and exits in West Bank provinces for the third day in a row.
Video shared by Palestinians and verified by Al Jazeera showed dozens of vehicles stuck in a traffic jam at the Atala checkpoint near Ramallah due to heightened security.
Since the start of Israel's war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, Israeli attacks in the West Bank have continued to escalate. Nearly 900 people have died in the region and more than 9,700 have been arrested, according to local human rights groups and health officials.