Destruction in Jenin: Israeli Operations Damage 70% of City Streets

On Saturday, the municipality of Jenin announced that the Israeli military has destroyed approximately 70% of the streets in the northern West Bank city during its ongoing four-day military operation. 

This includes significant damage to the city’s infrastructure, with water supply cut off to 80% of Jenin, as reported by Bashir Matahen, Director of Public Relations and Media at Jenin Municipality, to the official Palestinian news agency, WAFA.

Matahen stated, "The Israeli forces have excavated more than 70% of the city streets to a depth of approximately one to one and a half meters, destroying water and sewage networks, as well as telecommunications and electricity cables in the excavated areas, initially estimated at about 20 kilometers in length."

He also noted that "the water is cut off from 80% of the city and the entire camp due to the destruction of networks and the technical teams' inability to access these networks to reroute them to other areas."

Municipal teams have been unable to reach the damaged network locations despite attempts, during which they were fired upon by Israeli forces.

The media director of Jenin Municipality also reported that Israeli forces had set fire to parts of the city’s central vegetable market, and initial estimates indicate severe damage to the market and its commercial establishments, in addition to the destruction of hundreds of homes and vehicles.

Since the operation began in the north of the West Bank, which Israel claims is its most extensive since 2002, large Israeli forces have stormed the cities of Jenin and Tulkarm and their camps, as well as the Far'a camp near Tubas, before withdrawing early Thursday from Far'a camp and Tulkarm later the same day.

However, in Jenin, operations continue as the Israeli military has deployed armored forces supported by the air force into the city, raided parts of Jenin camp, and concentrated its forces in the eastern district, which has seen armed clashes and explosions from bombs detonated by resistance fighters and the army.

Amid its devastating war on Gaza, the Israeli military has expanded its operations in the West Bank while settlers have escalated their attacks, resulting in a total of 676 Palestinian deaths since October 7, 2023, and more than 5,600 injuries, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

With unwavering American support, Israel's war on Gaza has resulted in over 134,000 Palestinian casualties, mostly children and women, with more than 10,000 missing amidst widespread destruction and a famine that has claimed dozens of lives, creating one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.