Thousands Flee Jenin Refugee Camp as Death Toll Rises in Israeli Raid
On Tuesday, thousands of Palestinian residents fled the Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as the death toll from Israel’s largest raid on the camp in nearly two decades rose to at least 13, according to Palestinian health officials. The raid involved seizing weapons and destroying command posts and tunnels belonging to Palestinian militant groups.
According to the Associated Press, one Israeli soldier was also killed by gunfire in Jenin. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the death in a statement on Wednesday morning.
In response to the ongoing raid, the militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for a car-ramming attack on a crowded bus stop in the city of Tel Aviv, which left at least eight people injured. The attack was carried out as a response to the raid in Jenin, according to Hamas.
Israeli security officials reported that the Israeli military had begun withdrawing troops from Jenin late Tuesday night. However, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired five rockets towards Israel a few hours after the withdrawal had begun. All five rockets were intercepted by the Israeli military.
Jenin Mayor Nidal Al-Obeidi stated that around 4,000 people had fled the refugee camp to seek shelter elsewhere. Palestinians across the West Bank observed a general strike to protest the raid.
The charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that roads in the Jenin camp had been blocked or destroyed, hindering the accessibility of medical aid. Paramedics were forced to navigate the area on foot amid gunfire and drone strikes to reach the wounded.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli forces were “completing the mission” but stated that the operation in Jenin was not a one-time event.
On the same day, a car-ramming attack took place in Tel Aviv, where a 20-year-old attacker rammed his car into a bus stop before attempting to stab people with a knife. The attacker was shot and killed by an armed civilian at the scene.
Hamas identified the attacker as the one behind the attack and praised it as a “heroic operation” and “legitimate self-defense” against the Israeli operation in Jenin. Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the scene of the attack and called for more Israeli citizens to take up arms.
The situation in the region remains tense as both sides continue to clash, with fears of further violence and retaliation.