RAMALLAH: Israeli drones fitted with loudspeakers ordered people to leave their homes in Jenin on Thursday, residents said, as the military demolished a number of houses on the third day of a major operation in the West Bank city.
The operation, involving large columns of vehicles backed by helicopters and drones, was launched in the first week of a ceasefire in Gaza that saw the first exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails since a brief truce in November 2023.
Israeli officials said the Jenin operation was aimed at what the military said were Iranian-backed militant groups in the refugee camp adjacent to the city, a major hub for armed Palestinian groups for years.
“We need to be prepared to continue in the Jenin camp that will bring it to a different place,” Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, the head of the Israeli military, said in a statement.
Armored bulldozers have dug up roads and hundreds of people left their homes in the camp, after residents said they were ordered to evacuate.
“Yesterday, we did not want to leave, we were at home,” said 16-year-old Hussam Saadi. “Today, they sent down a drone to our neighborhood, telling us to leave the camp and that they will blow it up.”
The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
Overnight on Wednesday, Israeli troops killed two armed men barricaded inside a building in Burqin, outside Jenin, after a gunfight. The two were suspected of carrying out an attack near the Palestinian village of Al-Funduq earlier this month, in which three Israelis were killed.
Both were claimed by the armed wing of Hamas, which has a strong presence in the refugee camp, a crowded township for descendants of Palestinians who fled, or were forced, from their homes in the 1948 Middle East war.
Overall since the start of the operation, 12 Palestinians have been killed and 40 more wounded, Palestinian health officials said.
The raid, the third major operation by the Israeli military in Jenin in under two years, drew warnings from France and Jordan against an escalation in the West Bank, which has seen a surge in violence since the start of the war in Gaza.
Residents leave homes in Jenin as Israeli West Bank raid continues
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Residents leave homes in Jenin as Israeli West Bank raid continues
- Overall since the start of the operation, 12 Palestinians have been killed and 40 more wounded, Palestinian health officials said
Egypt coordinates with Greece to return victims of migrant incident, warns against irregular routes
Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has instructed the Egyptian embassy in Athens to step up coordination with Greek authorities, Ahram Online reported on Tuesday.
The move aims to support survivors and expedite the repatriation of the victims’ bodies once legal procedures are completed.
The ministry added that the embassy has been in contact with the families of those who died to arrange the transfer of the remains back home.
Offering its condolences to the victims’ families, the ministry renewed its warning to citizens about the risks of irregular migration, urging Egyptians to safeguard their lives by using legal and regulated travel channels.
Egypt has intensified its efforts to curb irregular migration since launching a national strategy in 2016, with officials stressing that the country will not be used as a transit route to Europe.
Authorities say no migrant boats have departed from Egyptian shores since the strategy was introduced, despite Egypt hosting nearly 10 million foreign nationals, including refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants from 133 countries.
The approach has continued to evolve over the years, most recently with the adoption of the 2024–2026 national action plan by the National Committee for Combating and Preventing Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons.
Earlier initiatives have also supported these efforts, including the 2019 “Lifeboats” programme, which allocated EGP 250 million to create job opportunities in villages considered most vulnerable to irregular migration.
Egypt’s measures have drawn international support, with the European Union pledging €200 million in grants in March 2024 to bolster border management, search-and-rescue capabilities, and efforts to combat migrant smuggling.
