Jenin Refugee Camp Under Siege as Israeli Military Operation Continues
The Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank is in chaos as the Israeli military operation, dubbed “Operation Iron Wall,” enters its fourth day. Residents are fleeing the camp, hauling their belongings down muddy pathways as gunfire and explosions fill the air.
Smoke billows from multiple areas in the camp’s Al-Hadaf neighborhood, and Israeli military convoys drive past nearby. Residents who have fled the camp told CNN that the Israeli military ordered them to evacuate, but they do not know when they will be allowed to return home.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) insists that it is not forcing the Palestinians to evacuate, but rather allowing them to do so through an organized and secured point. However, rights groups have raised concerns that fleeing civilians have been caught in the crossfire.
The IDF claims to have killed over 10 terrorists, arrested 20 wanted individuals, and confiscated many weapons and ammunition during the operation. However, some residents have reported that Israeli drones carrying loudspeakers ordered them to leave, then guided them out of the camp.
Many residents have fled the camp, including Mousa Al-Sharaa, who had to carry his elderly mother out of the camp on foot. Some have been told they can return in seven days, while others have been warned not to return at all.
The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights has expressed deep concern over the use of unlawful lethal force in Jenin, including multiple airstrikes and random shooting at unarmed residents attempting to flee or find safety. The UN has verified that at least 12 Palestinians have been killed and 40 injured by Israeli security forces since Tuesday, most of them reportedly unarmed.
The situation in Jenin is reminiscent of 2002, when the Israeli military occupied the camp after 10 days of intensive fighting, resulting in the destruction of over 400 houses and the displacement of over a quarter of the camp’s population.