Israeli Forces Pull Out of Jenin, Leaving A Trail of Destruction
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Israeli forces pulled out of the Palestinian city of Jenin on Friday, leaving a mass of damaged buildings and infrastructure, following one of the biggest military operations in the occupied West Bank in months.
Road diggers began clearing piles of debris and rubble left by the operation, which involved hundreds of troops and police backed by helicopters and drones entering all areas of the city and the adjacent refugee camp as well as surrounding villages.
Thousands of residents were displaced from their homes during the nine-day operation, during which troops fought running gun battles with Palestinian forces from factions including Hamas and Islamic Jihad and Fatah.
"When they entered, they used bulldozers and began destroying everything. They left nothing," said Jenin resident Samaher Abu Nassa, Reuters reported.
Water and electricity services remain cut and around 20 km of roadway was dug up by Israeli bulldozers, a tactic the military said was aimed at neutralizing roadside bombs but which has ripped up much of the center of the city.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry accused the military of transferring the tactics used to level the Gaza Strip into the West Bank.
In all 21 people were killed in Jenin during the operation. Many were claimed as members by the armed factions but a number were uninvolved civilians, including a 16-year-old girl, apparently shot by a sniper while looking out of the window.
More than 680 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to Palestinian health ministry figures.
