Media: Israel Defense Forces withdraw from Palestinian city of Jenin

Israeli forces have ended their siege of the Palestinian city of Jenin and the nearby refugee camp in the West Bank.

Israeli soldiers have withdrawn from the government hospital and the city's medical centre in Jenin, where they had been stationed since the beginning of a large-scale invasion of the occupied West Bank on August 28, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media. 

Over the past nine days, the military conducted raids across the West Bank. The army stated that it was carrying out an "anti-terrorism operation" in Jenin and Tulkarm. According to Palestinian media, the Israelis have been fully withdrawn. This raid, described as the most intense Israeli invasion of the occupied West Bank in decades, resulted in the deaths of at least 39 Palestinians and injuries to 130 others.

Jenin has long been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Initially established to accommodate Palestinians displaced during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the refugee camp has evolved into a densely populated urban area, remaining under Israeli military occupation since 1967.

During the second intifada in 2002, Israeli forces extensively damaged parts of Jenin, leading to intense fighting that resulted in the deaths of 52 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers, as reported by the United Nations.

In recent years, the Palestinian Authority, which governs certain areas of the West Bank, has seen its influence in Jenin decline. Many residents view the Authority as a collaborator with the occupation due to its security coordination with Israel. The Authority's forces have occasionally clashed with Palestinian militants.

Militant groups such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas operate openly in Jenin, with the latter also active in Gaza. The streets of Jenin often display posters of fallen fighters, and young men with walkie-talkies patrol the area.

Since the outbreak of conflict on October 7, Israeli forces have intensified their operations in Jenin, frequently using drone strikes against targets in the area. However, prior to the latest raid, most operations had lasted only a few hours or, at most, a few days.

Since October 7, there has also been a rise in violence by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank and an increase in settlement construction in the occupied territory.

Local health officials report that more than 680 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed since October, with most deaths attributed to Israeli troops and some to settlers. The Israeli army has not yet provided figures on the number of Israelis killed in the West Bank during the same period.