Topline
Israel has withdrawn its forces from the city of Jenin and exchanged fire with Gaza, security officials said on Wednesday, ending two days of intense fighting in one of its largest assaults in the occupied West Bank in years.
Israel said its forces have withdrawn from Jenin.
Key Facts
Israeli security officials said its military operation was complete and its troops had finished withdrawing from the Jenin area of the occupied West Bank in the early hours of Wednesday morning, according to local news reports.
Twelve Palestinians and an Israeli soldier were killed in the operation and thousands reportedly fled the fighting, according to the Associated Press.
Israeli officials declared the raid a success and said its troops had confiscated stashes of money, weapons, ammunition and materials to make bombs, as well as neutralizing numerous facilities used to make explosives.
As troops were leaving, the Israel Defense Forces said militants in the Gaza Strip fired five rockets towards Israel, all of which were intercepted.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the launches and no injuries were immediately reported, though local media report shrapnel from an Iron Dome interceptor missile damaged a house.
Israel responded to the rocket launches with airstrikes on what it said were weapons manufacturing facilities in Gaza used by Hamas, the militant group ruling the area.
News Peg
Israel launched its assault on Jenin, an area of the occupied West Bank encompassing a city and a refugee camp, on Monday as part of what it called a “focused counterterrorism operation.” Jenin is a known hub for resistance groups and while no stranger to violence—it has been the target of frequent Israeli raids for more than a year—the scale and nature of the assault is a marked escalation and one of Israel’s biggest military operations in the area in decades. Israel’s tactics, particularly the use of helicopter fire and army bulldozers, have drawn comparisons with a large Israeli operation during an uprising around 20 years ago.
Tangent
Israel’s withdrawal from Jenin came hours after an attack in Tel Aviv injured at least nine people, three seriously. The attack, a car ramming and stabbing, was claimed by Hamas as retaliation for the raid on Jenin.
What To Watch For
The attack comes after more than a year of rising violence and at a time of significant domestic turmoil in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under intense pressure from far-right members of his governing coalition to respond severely to Palestinian attacks and the government has been rocked with protests over controversial plans to overhaul the judicial system. Netanyahu has stated the operation in Jenin is not a “one-time thing” and vowed to carry out further operations if needed.
Further Reading
Israel Launches Major Offensive On West Bank City (Forbes)
Israel’s Jenin operation reignites Palestinian anger (BBC)
Nine injured in Tel Aviv ramming and stabbing attack (Guardian)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2023/07/05/israel-ends-west-bank-assault-and-launches-airstrikes-on-gaza/