Israel’s military said it has identified 10 additional targets to destroy in Jenin before pulling out of a refugee camp in the West Bank city, as violence spilled into a second day after Monday’s deadly attack that led to the fleeing of thousands.
The Israeli army’s spokesman, Major Nir Dinar, said forces are aiming primarily at “terrorist infrastructure” such as weapon-manufacturing sites. The operation is already relatively major and has caused significant casualties.
Jenin is “a city of refuge for terrorism,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Monday. “We are not prepared to accept this — and we are putting a stop to it.”
The Palestinian Authority called a meeting of its factions and demanded Israel’s membership in the United Nations be revoked, while urging bereaved families to file cases with the International Criminal Court.
Car Ramming
Seven people were wounded in a combined car ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, including three who are in serious condition, Israel police said. The attacker — who Israel’s Channel 12 reported was a 23-year old Palestinian living in the West Bank — was killed by a civilian.
The Hamas militant group praised the attack and said it was “revenge for the military operation in Jenin,” according to the Associated Press.
Clashes between Israel and Palestinian militias have escalated this year, and Jenin has been a flashpoint for violence. This week’s attack — with an official death toll of 10 — is one of the largest in years, with the rare use of drones to support some 1,000 Israeli troops on the ground. It followed an earlier raid on the camp in June that left six Palestinians killed.
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the Jenin gunmen that Israel targeted are funded by Iran, which has been fighting a proxy war with Israel through various groups.
As Iran Emerges From Isolation, Israel Is Feeling Cornered
The shekel, traditionally unaffected by the fighting, depreciated only slightly and the benchmark TA-35 barely moved. Markets have been more focused on Netanyahu’s plans to overhaul the judiciary.
The 3,000 residents who fled the camp were offered refuge by the mayor of Jenin in hospitals, hotels, empty apartments and municipality buildings in the town.
--With assistance from Alisa Odenheimer.
(Updates with car ramming.)