Israeli forces clashed with Palestinians in Jenin, resulting in the deadliest army raid in the West Bank since 2005.
The city, known for its Israeli militant presence and frequent army raids, witnessed intense fighting, with explosions echoing through the streets. The Palestinian health ministry confirmed 14 casualties, making this the deadliest incursion in the West Bank since 2005 according to United Nations records.
Four additional Palestinians were killed elsewhere in the West Bank on Thursday, bringing the total death toll since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7 to over 180 Palestinians killed.
Meanwhile, the West Bank, a territory under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, has witnessed escalating violence, with increasing raids targeting Palestinians. In Thursday's Jenin raid, the Israeli military detained 20 individuals.
A 39-year-old Palestinian engineer summed up the grim reality, "This is every day. This is our life," he said before fresh gunfire sent panic through a crowd of onlookers who ran down the street.
From a hilltop vantage point, the crackle of gunfire echoed off high-rise buildings, amid smoke and sirens. Fresh explosions occurred every five minutes at the peak of the fighting mid-afternoon, as an Israeli drone circled over the city.
A local reported that leaflets were airdropped in the morning over Jenin refugee camp, home to some 23,000 people, warning them to avoid militant factions. In the afternoon, more pamphlets were scattered from above, as locals said fighting had left children trapped in their schools.
On the streets, Israeli troops faced off with militants hiding behind cover. Dozens of spectators milled in side streets, surging forward to help the wounded and direct ambulances.
"They shoot indiscriminately, in a barbaric way," said 35-year-old paramedic Muhammad al-Ahmad. "Every hour we have a body."
At a local morgue, the pale faces of young men were stained with blood. The dead body of 45-year-old Muhammad Aqel's nephew lay in an adjacent prayer room. "What keeps us strong is our steadfastness and God. This land is our land," said Aqel.
