JERUSALEM, Israel – The Israeli military has pulled all of its troops out of Jenin following a two-day anti-terror operation to reduce the threat against Jewish residents of Samaria in the northern West Bank.
One Israeli soldier died as the withdrawal began. Staff-Sergeant David Yehuda Yitzhak, 23, was killed from gunfire and will be buried Wednesday in Jerusalem’s Mt. Herzl Cemetery.
Palestinian health officials said at least 13 Palestinians died in the operation, which was designed to destroy the terror infrastructure centered on the Jenin refugee camp, to confiscate weapons, and to eliminate meeting points for members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other groups such as the Lions Den.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said that although the withdrawal is complete, Israeli forces will remain in the area “in order to be prepared for whatever is required.”
Before the withdrawal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned, “At these moments we are completing the mission, and I can say that our extensive operation in Jenin is not a one-off,” adding, “We will eradicate terrorism wherever we see it and we will strike at it.”
The IDF used bulldozers to dig up alleys in the camp mined with explosives. They also claim to have confiscated thousands of weapons and bundles of cash, which Israel suspects is furnished – in large part – by Iran.
According to the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh called the Israeli operation a failure. “Israel failed and was defeated in Jenin,” Haniyeh claimed, and added that it “taught the enemy a lesson and caused them to suffer heavy losses.”
Hamas commissioned the launching of 5 rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip overnight, which caused no major damage. Israel retaliated by hitting targets in the Hamas Gaza stronghold.
Also on Tuesday, a terrorist carried out a ramming and stabbing attack against pedestrians in Tel Aviv, wounding at least 10 people, several seriously. He was shot and killed by an armed civilian.
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