The Palestinian health ministry reported that Israeli forces killed at least one person and injured another during a nighttime operation in the city of Jenin on July 2, Reuters reports.
The Israeli military stated that they were targeting "terrorist infrastructure" in Jenin, and residents claimed that a missile was fired from the air, resulting in the destruction of a house.
The army described the operation as an "extensive counterterrorism effort" in the area, including the city and its large refugee camp. However, specific details were not provided. Videos from Reuters showed plumes of white and black smoke rising over Jenin during the Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli forces' raid on Jenin continued into Monday morning, leading to a gun battle that lasted for hours and resulted in at least three casualties. Gunfire and explosions could be heard throughout the city, while drones flew overhead. The Jenin Brigades, a unit consisting of various militant groups based in the refugee camp, announced their engagement with the Israeli forces.
According to the Israeli military, their forces targeted a building that served as a command center for fighters from the Jenin Brigades. The operation was part of an extensive effort to counter terrorism in the West Bank. Although at least six drones were seen circling over the city, the military did not confirm whether Monday's operations included a drone strike. Drone strikes in the West Bank have been rare, with the last one occurring over 15 years ago until a strike last month that killed three militant gunmen near Jenin.
The magnitude of the raid emphasized the significance of Jenin in the ongoing violence that has engulfed the occupied West Bank for over a year. The city's large refugee camp is home to hundreds of armed fighters from various militant groups, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah. Israeli forces have conducted multiple major raids in the camp since the beginning of this year.
As daylight broke, thick black smoke from burning tires set alight by residents filled the streets, while calls to support the fighters echoed through mosque loudspeakers. The Palestinian health ministry confirmed at least three deaths in Jenin, and another man was killed in the city of Ramallah after being shot in the head at a checkpoint.
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