Israel Palestine conflict 2023: Troops withdraw from Jenin camp; here's all the latest news

Israeli forces have completed their withdrawal from the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank. This move comes after a major military operation, which was one of the largest in the region in nearly two decades. The operation resulted in the displacement of thousands of residents and widespread destruction in the area.

Late on Tuesday, convoys of Israeli military vehicles were observed leaving Jenin, signaling the conclusion of the operation that commenced on Monday. The clashes during the operation resulted in the deaths of twelve individuals, including at least five Palestinian fighters and one Israeli soldier.

The primary objective of the military campaign was to dismantle militant infrastructure and confiscate weapons in the Jenin refugee camp. The operation was initiated with a drone strike on Monday, and more than 1,000 Israeli troops were deployed in the area.


It remains uncertain whether this operation will have a lasting impact, considering the intense fighting that has occurred in the West Bank over the past year and a half.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that similar operations would be conducted in the future if deemed necessary.

Israeli action in Jenin

On Monday, Israeli forces conducted a targeted operation in the Jenin camp, a stronghold of Palestinian militants. The objective of the operation was to destroy weapons and confiscate them. The use of large military bulldozers caused significant damage to infrastructure and forced thousands of residents to flee to seek safety elsewhere. The camp experienced disruptions in essential services such as electricity and water supply, partly due to the use of bulldozers to clear booby-trapped roads.

This military operation in Jenin is one of the most intense ones in the West Bank since the end of the armed Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation two decades ago. Israel has been conducting frequent raids in the West Bank since early 2022 in response to deadly Palestinian attacks. The Israeli government claims that these raids are necessary due to the weak Palestinian Authority and its inability to control militants.

The Palestinians argue that such violence is a direct consequence of the 56-year-long Israeli occupation and the absence of a meaningful political process. They also highlight the escalation of settlement construction and violence by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

According to the Israeli military, thousands of weapons, bomb-making materials, and significant amounts of money were confiscated during the operation. Weapons were discovered in both militant hideouts and civilian areas, including beneath a mosque. The military also reported the dismantling of explosives manufacturing facilities and operational situation rooms in Jenin.

The raid on Jenin employed airstrikes and a substantial presence of ground troops, reminiscent of Israeli military tactics during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s. However, the scope of the recent operation was comparatively limited.

Approximately 3,000 residents of the refugee camp were displaced as a result of the assault, seeking refuge elsewhere, as stated by the deputy governor of Jenin, Kamal Abu al-Roub.

Israel launches air strikes on Gaza

In the early hours of Wednesday, militants from the Gaza Strip launched a barrage of five rockets towards southern Israel. Fortunately, Israel's Iron Dome aerial defense system successfully intercepted all of them. In response, Israel conducted airstrikes targeting the Gaza Strip.

The rocket attacks triggered sirens in the city of Sderot, which is located near the Gaza border, prompting local residents to seek shelter. Social media videos captured the scenes of people hurriedly finding safety. As of now, there have been no immediate reports of injuries or damage resulting from the rocket strikes.

According to a Palestinian security source, the attack targeted a military site belonging to the Hamas militant group in northern Gaza. Fortunately, no injuries were reported from this particular incident.

Car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv

On Tuesday, a disturbing incident occurred when a Hamas militant deliberately drove his car into a crowded bus stop in Tel Aviv and proceeded to stab people, resulting in eight individuals being wounded. Palestinian armed groups claimed that this attack was carried out as retaliation for an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank. A bystander, witnessing the events, intervened by shooting and killing the attacker.

Hamas, in response to the incident, lauded the attack in Tel Aviv as a "heroic" act and described it as an initial response to the perceived injustices inflicted upon their people in the Jenin camp.

According to the police, the driver in Tel Aviv appeared to have purposefully targeted pedestrians on a busy shopping street with his vehicle before exiting and resorting to stabbing civilians with a sharp object.