Israeli bulldozers have leveled vast sections of the Jenin refugee camp, carving wide roadways through its dense, once-crowded alleys, echoing the tactics used in Gaza.
As the operation continues, Israeli troops prepare for a prolonged presence, marking the latest phase of Israel’s military strategy in the northern West Bank.
The offensive, launched just one day after a cease-fire agreement in Gaza ended 15 months of conflict, has forced at least 40,000 Palestinians to flee their homes in Jenin and Tulkarm.
“Jenin mirrors what happened in Jabalia,” said Basheer Matahen, spokesperson for Jenin’s municipality, referring to the Gaza refugee camp decimated after weeks of intense fighting. “The camp is now uninhabitable.”
Bulldozers – at least 12 of them – are demolishing homes and infrastructure in a camp originally home to Palestinians displaced during the Nakba, or “the catastrophe.”
Meanwhile, army engineering units are preparing for a long-term stay, setting up water tanks and generators across a nearly 1-acre site.
Although the Israeli military declined to comment, Defense Minister Israel Katz recently ordered troops to brace for a long-term presence, suggesting the camp would remain off-limits for residents for at least the coming year.
This month-long operation in the West Bank is among the largest since the Second Intifada, involving several Israeli brigades backed by drones, helicopters, and heavy battle tanks.
Former Israeli military intelligence official Michael Milshtein, who heads the Palestinian Studies Forum, observed the ongoing evacuations from refugee camps like Nur Shams and Jenin, describing it as an unprecedented step.
While Israel insists the operation aims to dismantle Hamas and Islamic Jihad, allegedly entrenched in the refugee camps, Palestinians contend the true objective is the permanent displacement of their population.
Israel’s actions in Jenin are seen by many as an attempt to erase the camps – not just physically, but morally and financially.
“Israel wants to erase the camps, the name of refugees from memory,” said 85-year-old Hassan al-Katib, a former resident of Jenin who fled with his large family, leaving behind everything.
Israel has also taken steps to undermine the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), including banning its operations in Jenin and Jerusalem.
The refugee camps in the West Bank, where 5.9 million Palestinians still live, symbolize the unresolved status of their plight.
Israel has long targeted these camps, citing the refugee issue as a major obstacle to resolving the conflict, but it has refrained from permanent clearance until now.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar downplayed any larger motives, claiming the operation’s sole purpose is combating Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
However, Palestinians see parallels to previous Israeli tactics in Gaza, where entire communities were displaced in systematic operations.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned the West Bank operation, calling it a repeat of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
He urged the U.S. to intervene and halt the aggression.
The Israeli government faces growing internal pressure to annex the West Bank, a region Palestinians view as central to a future independent state.
However, fears of international backlash, particularly from the U.S. and Arab allies, have tempered such ambitions – though some hardliners remain hopeful, especially given the pro-Israel stance of key figures in the current U.S. administration.
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