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The Israeli military withdrew its troops from Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, ending an intense two-day operation in the militant stronghold that killed at least 12 Palestinians and drove thousands of people from their homes. Here is what you need to know about the Jenin refugee camp and its prominent role in the escalating violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian militant groups.
The Israeli army claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on militant groups in the Jenin refugee camp in an operation that included a series of air strikes and hundreds of ground troops.
One Israeli soldier was also killed in the operation, which Israel’s hardline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned was “not a one-off”.
It remained unclear whether the deadly raid would have any long-lasting effect after nearly a year and a half of heavy fighting in the West Bank.
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Why did Israel attack Jenin?
Since March 2022, Jenin and outlying areas in the north of the Israeli-occupied West Bank have drawn intensified raids ordered by Israel’s hard-right government after a spate of Palestinian street attacks.
The Jenin camp has long been a hotbed of militants with an array of light weapons and a growing arsenal of explosive devices. The Israeli military regularly accuses militant groups of basing fighters within densely populated urban areas such as refugee camps that date back to 1948. Many of the militants live in the camp, often with their families.
In January, Israeli forces killed seven gunmen and two civilians in a raid in Jenin. Last month, militants and Israeli troops waged an hours-long gunbattle in which six Palestinians were…
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