Israeli troops have begun withdrawing from the West Bank city of Jenin after a two-day operation that left 13 Palestinians dead. The operation, one of the largest in the West Bank in years, aimed at destroying and confiscating weapons. However, the Israeli military stated that one soldier was killed during the fighting.
During the operation, Israeli aircraft reportedly launched airstrikes on militant sites in the Gaza Strip early on Wednesday. The strikes were said to be in retaliation for rockets fired from Gaza. The rockets were intercepted, but the incident raised the risk of escalating conflict on a second front.
In Jenin, the Israeli military faced sporadic fighting with Palestinian militants in parts of the refugee camp, causing a delay in the withdrawal. However, residents later reported that Israeli troops had left the area, and people began returning to the streets.
The two-day operation in Jenin resulted in the deaths of 13 Palestinians, with dozens more wounded, according to Palestinian health officials. Buildings were destroyed, roads were damaged, and thousands of residents were forced to flee the camp.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Tel Aviv, a Hamas militant rammed his car into a crowded bus stop and began stabbing people, injuring eight individuals, including a pregnant woman who reportedly lost her baby. The attacker was killed by an armed bystander. Hamas claimed the attack was in revenge for the Israeli offensive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that the Jenin operation was nearing its end but pledged to carry out similar offensives in the future. The Israeli military reported that thousands of weapons, bomb-making materials, and caches of money were confiscated during the operation.
The recent escalation of violence in the region has posed a challenge for Netanyahu’s far-right government, which has faced calls for tougher action against Palestinian militants but has seen the conflict intensify. The situation remains volatile as tensions persist between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants.
