Thousands of Palestinian residents evacuated the Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Tuesday, following Israel’s largest raid on the camp in nearly two decades. The death toll from the raid, according to Palestinian health officials, has risen to at least 13. Additionally, an Israeli soldier was killed by gunfire in Jenin. In response to the raid, Hamas claimed responsibility for a car-ramming attack in Tel Aviv that injured eight people.
Israeli security officials have informed the Associated Press that Israeli troops have begun withdrawing from Jenin. However, shortly after the withdrawal started, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired five rockets towards Israel, which were all intercepted.
The Israeli army stated that the two-day operation in the Jenin camp involved seizing weapons and demolishing command posts and tunnels of Palestinian militant groups. Throughout the day, there were sporadic clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants, resulting in streets being torn up and gunfire and explosions being heard.
Jenin Mayor Nidal Al-Obeidi reported that approximately 4,000 people had fled the refugee camp, seeking shelter elsewhere. In solidarity with the raid victims, Palestinians across the West Bank went on a general strike. The U.N. humanitarian office expressed concern about the intensity of the air and ground operations, particularly the air strikes in the densely populated refugee camp. Doctors Without Borders also highlighted the blocking and destruction of roads in the Jenin camp, which made it difficult for medical personnel to reach the wounded.
The use of attack helicopters and drone strikes in the densely populated area drew outrage from Jovana Arsenijevic, an MSF coordinator in Jenin. The hospital treating patients was even struck by tear gas canisters, prompting Arsenijevic to demand respect for medical facilities, ambulances, and patients.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Israeli forces were completing their mission in Jenin, suggesting that it was not a one-time operation. Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Tel Aviv, a 20-year-old attacker rammed his car into a bus stop and attempted to stab people with a knife. The assailant was killed at the scene by an armed civilian. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, characterizing it as “legitimate self-defense” against the Israeli operation in Jenin.
According to eyewitnesses, the attacker emerged from the car and started chasing civilians with a knife. Witnesses initially thought it was a mistake by the driver before realizing it was an attack. In response to the attack, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister, called for more Israeli citizens to arm themselves.
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