Israeli forces have concluded a nine-day military operation in Jenin city and its refugee camp, located in the northern West Bank.
The operation, one of the largest launched by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in recent years, targeted what the IDF described as terrorist groups within the densely populated area, which houses about 60,000 civilians.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, 36 Palestinians, including 21 from the Jenin governorate, were killed during the operation. While many of the deceased have been identified as members of militant groups, the ministry reported that children were also among the victims. The conflict also claimed the life of an Israeli soldier during combat.
The IDF’s campaign, which extended beyond Jenin to cities like Tubas and the al-Faraa refugee camp, marked one of the most intense military escalations in the West Bank since the conflict sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel in Gaza last October. The operation involved hundreds of Israeli troops, airstrikes, and ground assaults, resulting in widespread destruction across the Jenin camp.
Civilians were confined to their homes during the military action, facing power and water cuts. Some residents, like Khalid abu Sabeer, described the devastation. He recounted how his home, situated near a mosque, was destroyed after the IDF blew up a cave beneath his building. Another resident, Mustafa Antir, shared how the relentless attacks left them feeling overwhelmed and disoriented, with no clear direction of where the next strike would come from.
As the operation ended, residents emerged from their homes to assess the damage. Jenin’s streets were littered with debris, buildings reduced to rubble, and public infrastructure severely damaged. Construction crews have since been working to restore the roads, while marketplaces are slowly returning to activity.
However, gunfire echoed through the camp on Friday morning as funerals for the dead militants and civilians took place. One of those killed was Mohammed Zubeidi, son of Zakaria Zubeidi, a former commander in Jenin for the Fatah movement’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. Zubeidi was among five militants killed in an Israeli airstrike on a car in Tubas.
The Israeli military claimed significant achievements during the operation, stating that 14 militants had been eliminated, over 30 suspects arrested, and 30 explosive devices dismantled. The IDF also reported dismantling weapons storage sites and an underground facility used to manufacture explosives.
The Palestinian health ministry also reported fatalities in Hebron, where three Palestinians were killed over the course of the past nine days. One of them, according to the IDF, was responsible for a shooting attack that killed three Israeli police officers near Tarqumiyah.
The operation underscores a broader spike in violence across the West Bank since the outbreak of war in Gaza, with over 600 Palestinians reported killed during Israeli raids. Israeli authorities maintain that these operations are crucial in preventing further attacks on Israeli civilians.
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