Israeli attacks leave trail of devastation in Palestinian city of Jenin

JENIN, Palestine (AA) – Israeli forces have left a trail of devastation in the Palestinian West Bank city of Jenin.

Although operations were halted on Wednesday, but not before 12 Palestinians were killed and more than 140 injured.

Dozens of homes, vehicles, stores and utility lines were destroyed.

Palestinian residents said Israeli forces targeted civilians and not gunmen.

Speaking to Türkiye’s Anadolu news agency, a resident Umm Mohamed said Israeli forces destroyed his home.

“Israeli soldiers raided the city at night and forced us out of our homes,” she said. 

“But when we came back in the morning, we could not recognize our houses.”

Another resident said it looked as if an earthquake had hit Jenin, as everything was in ruins.

Jamil Talib said his car had been smashed by Israeli bulldozers and his house had been turned into a shack.

A 55-year-old Aliye al-Bali claimed Israeli soldiers stole her jewelry. She showed Anadolu reporters the destruction inflicted on her house during the Israeli military raid.

“Israeli soldiers even stole my gold jewelry,” she said.

Said, a Palestinian resident who gave only his first name, said civilians, not gunmen, were the target of the Israeli raid.

“They targeted the camp’s infrastructure to impose collective punishment of the residents,” he said.

“The Israeli army failed to achieve their military targets,” he said. “They did the same in 2002, but life continued in Jenin.”

The Israeli raid was condemned by several countries, including Türkiye, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia and Pakistan.

The United Nations has called for an independent investigation into the attack.There are around 1,000 residential units inhabited by 15,000 Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp.

“The Jenin refugee camp was destroyed as if an earthquake had struck the area,” Umm Akram, a resident of the camp, told Anadolu.

The Palestinian mother said she had to flee the area following the Israeli military raid.

“Everything is in ruins,” she added.

The defiant woman, however, said that “despite the destruction, we will maintain our resolve.”

Jenin was the target of a deadly Israeli offensive in April 2002.

At least 58 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians, and 300 houses destroyed during the onslaught, according to Palestinian figures.

“The scene in the camp is a reminder of 2002 when the camp suffered massive destruction in the Israeli offensive,” Umm Akram said.