Israel bombs Gaza while withdrawing its forces from Jenin

Israel launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip in response to rockets fired from the coastal enclave in Palestine.

Simultaneously, the Israeli army withdrew from Jenin city in the occupied West Bank, concluding one of its largest military operations.

Following a call by the United Nations rights chief to end the violence, Israeli forces began pulling out of the Jenin refugee camp. Residents returned to assess the damage caused during the invasion.

The raid, which commenced with a drone strike early Monday, resulted in widespread destruction and claimed the lives of at least 12 Palestinians, with one Israeli soldier killed and approximately 100 others injured.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government had deployed over 1,000 troops in Jenin.

Shortly after the forces began their withdrawal, five rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. The military intercepted the rockets, and no casualties were reported. In response, Israeli jets targeted an underground weapons manufacturing facility, but further escalation remained uncertain.

On Tuesday, the situation escalated with a car-ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, claimed by the Palestinian group Hamas, which left eight people injured.

Doctors Without Borders reported that Israeli forces had fired tear gas at a hospital where their teams were working. The Israeli military denied knowledge of firing near a hospital but confirmed an airstrike on gunmen who had taken positions in a cemetery, posing a threat to the withdrawing troops.

The Palestinian foreign ministry labeled the escalation “open war against the people of Jenin.” Medical charity Doctors Without Borders condemned the use of tear gas inside Khalil Suleiman hospital in Jenin, calling it unacceptable. Palestinian health minister Mai al-Kaila accused the army of shooting at Palestinians in the courtyard of Jenin public hospital.

Shops in Jenin remained closed amid a general strike, and the streets, mostly deserted, were filled with debris and burned roadblocks. The camp and some areas of the city were without power, water, and supplies due to infrastructure damage caused by the military operation.

Palestinian fighters from groups including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah had fortified the camp to counter regular army raids. Evacuations of thousands of people took place.

The United States acknowledged Israel’s right to self-defense but emphasized the importance of avoiding civilian casualties. The European Union expressed grave concern, and UN bodies voiced alarm over the scale of the military action. The UN Security Council convened a closed-door meeting as requested by the United Arab Emirates.

UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk decried the violence in Tel Aviv and Jenin, stating that violence only begets more violence. He called for an end to the killing, maiming, and destruction of property.

The conflict between Israel and Palestine has worsened since early last year, with an escalation under the Netanyahu government, which includes extreme-right allies. The Palestinians seek their own independent state and demand Israeli withdrawal from all land seized in 1967, including the dismantling of Jewish settlements. Netanyahu has pledged to strengthen settlements and shown no interest in reviving peace talks.

At least 190 Palestinians, 26 Israelis, one Ukrainian, and one Italian have been killed this year. The casualties include combatants and civilians on the Palestinian side and mostly civilians and three members of the Arab minority on the Israeli side.

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