Israeli Forces Leave Jenin After Major Security Operation, Leaving Widespread Destruction
Israeli forces concluded a large-scale security operation in the Palestinian city of Jenin on Friday, leaving behind widespread destruction and severely damaged infrastructure. This nine-day military incursion, one of the largest in the occupied West Bank in recent months, involved hundreds of Israeli troops, police, helicopters, and drones, which entered the city, its adjacent refugee camp, and surrounding villages.
Residents of Jenin, a city known for its stronghold of Palestinian armed factions, faced immense disruption. Many were displaced from their homes, and entire neighborhoods were reduced to rubble as bulldozers ripped through city streets, clearing the way for the military’s objectives. Israeli officials stated that the operation was necessary to neutralize roadside bombs, but the result was the complete destruction of roads and the suspension of basic services like water and electricity.
Destruction and Displacement
As the Israeli forces withdrew, the damage left behind was apparent. Bulldozers began clearing debris, but the extent of the destruction was overwhelming, with approximately 20 kilometers of roadway torn up. “When they entered, they used bulldozers and began destroying everything. They left nothing,” said Samaher Abu Nassa, a Jenin resident. The aftermath has left many homeless and without basic utilities.
Roadside bombs were a key concern for Israeli forces, and military officials claimed that 30 explosive devices planted along the roads were successfully dismantled during the operation. While this was touted as a tactical success, the destruction of large parts of the city’s infrastructure has further deepened the humanitarian crisis for residents.
Jenin: A Stronghold of Resistance
Jenin has long been a center for Palestinian resistance groups, including factions like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah. Israeli military authorities described the mission as targeting Iranian-backed militant groups planning attacks on Israeli civilians. According to their reports, 14 Palestinian fighters were killed in the fighting, including a local Hamas commander. Additionally, 30 suspects were arrested, weapons were confiscated, and underground infrastructure, such as a weapons depot located under a mosque and an explosives workshop, was dismantled.
While the Israeli military views the operation as a preventive strike, many Palestinians accuse Israel of using excessive force. The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the operation, claiming that Israel is transferring tactics typically employed in Gaza into the West Bank, escalating the violence in the region.
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Funeral Processions and Rising Tensions
As Israeli forces left Jenin, thousands of Palestinians, including large groups of armed men, took to the streets to mourn those killed during the operation. Funeral processions for the dead were accompanied by gunfire in the air, with many of the victims’ bodies wrapped in Palestinian flags or the flags of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah. The atmosphere in Jenin remains tense as residents process the destruction left in the wake of the military operation.
The West Bank, particularly Jenin and Tulkarm, has witnessed a sharp increase in violence over the past year. Clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters have become more frequent, and Palestinian villages have also faced raids by Jewish settlers. In response, Palestinians have launched attacks on Israeli civilians.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, more than 680 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the escalation began. The casualties include armed fighters, civilians, and youths involved in protests. On the Israeli side, dozens of civilians have lost their lives in attacks by Palestinians or in missile strikes from Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group in southern Lebanon.
A Growing Crisis
The Jenin operation underscores the fragile and volatile nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As violence continues to surge across the West Bank and Gaza, tensions remain high, and both sides appear entrenched in a cycle of conflict. For Jenin’s residents, the immediate task is recovery and rebuilding, but the long-term consequences of this military incursion could further inflame the already deteriorating situation in the region.
