Israeli attacks in Jenin reminiscent of Nakba: Mayor

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Mayor of Jenin city Nidal al-Obaidi said thousands of Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes amid an ongoing Israeli military operation in the city.

“No less than 4,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes since yesterday,” al-Obaidi told Anadolu on Tuesday.

He said around 13,000 Palestinians have been trapped inside their homes by the Israeli army in the Jenin refugee camp since Monday.

On Monday, the Israeli army launched its largest military operation in Jenin in more than 20 years, killing at least 10 Palestinians and injuring more than 100 others, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

“The humanitarian situation in Jenin is catastrophic,” al-Obaidi said. “What’s happening is like an earthquake. It reminds us of the days of Nakba.”

Palestinians use the term “Nakba”, or Catastrophe, to remember the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes and lands in 1948 after the founding of Israel.

“Dozens of homes and buildings were destroyed or vandalized by the Israeli army,” the Palestinian mayor said.

“Residents are in a very difficult conditions as they are trapped inside their homes without water or food amid Israeli gunfire,” he added.

Al-Obaidi said that Egypt was mediating to halt the Israeli military offensive in Jenin, without providing any further details.

“Israel thought that it would finish its military operation within hours and leave quietly, but it miscalculated the situation,” he added.

The Jenin mayor said that Israeli soldiers move across the Jenin refugee camp “by digging holes in the walls of houses.”

“We are still unable to count the number of destroyed houses in the camp,” he added.

An Israeli military spokesman earlier said that between 1,500 and 3,000 Palestinians have left their homes in Jenin amid the ongoing Israeli military operation in the city.

The Israeli offensive came amid rising tensions across the occupied West Bank in recent months amid repeated Israeli raids into Palestinian towns.

Nearly 190 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of this year, according to the Health Ministry. At least 25 Israelis have also been killed in separate attacks during the same period.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi