“Israel’s” Vandalism in Jenin Continues: The Camp Destroyed

By Staff, Agencies

An ongoing “Israeli” military operation in the occupied West Bank has led to severe destruction and displacement, particularly in Jenin and surrounding areas. The offensive, which began on January 21, has escalated beyond refugee camps, pushing deeper into Palestinian towns and cities.

Bulldozers have torn through roads and neighborhoods, leaving streets unrecognizable. Residents seeking safety have found themselves trapped as military raids continue.

Qusay Farahat, a 22-year-old from Jenin, was among those forced to flee. After escaping an earlier raid on his home, he sought refuge at a relative’s house—only for the military assault to reach there as well. "Here, it feels like the camp all over again," he said, describing the destruction outside the house where he had hoped to find shelter. He recounted how an army bulldozer plowed through the area, wrecking vehicles and blocking entrances with debris. "When the bulldozer came, it tore everything apart while we were inside," he said. "We shouted for help," but the family remained trapped as rubble piled up at their doorstep.

The Palestinian Health Ministry announced on Monday that 70 Palestinians have been martyred in the West Bank since the start of the year, most of them from Jenin. Additionally, 40,000 people have been displaced. Over the past week, the “Israeli” occupation reported detaining approximately 90 Palestinians. The widespread destruction has prevented many residents from returning home, leaving thousands still seeking shelter.

In Jenin’s eastern neighborhood, an airstrike on Thursday targeted a vehicle, igniting a fire that smoldered for hours. Parents warned their children to stay away, fearing unexploded ordnance. A shopkeeper, repairing a metal awning damaged in a previous raid, remarked on the repetitive cycle of destruction: "I had to fix this six months ago, and now it's ruined again."

“Israeli” forces have also raided office buildings in high-rises overlooking the camp, searching the premises and reportedly using them as strategic outposts.

AFP journalists witnessed safes pried open, office supplies strewn across floors, and windows shattered. Among the vandalized items was a small Palestinian flag, burned, and a portrait of iconic Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, defaced with an official stamp from a legal office that had been searched.

Inside the refugee camp itself, where “Israeli” military vehicles now patrol a dirt road, entire rows of houses have been demolished. Farahat recalled the terrifying moment the raid began: “We were surrounded, and suddenly ‘Israeli’ special forces appeared and began firing intensely. People died, and others fled. Miraculously, we escaped.”

For some, there was no escape. Sabha Bani Gharra, a 95-year-old resident, was receiving medical treatment for a fracture when the occupation’s military operation began. Unable to return home, she has since been living in a sewing workshop run by a local charity. A video sent by a neighbor confirmed what she feared: her house was gone.

“The house is gone. All I have is one outfit, the one I'm wearing,” she said, holding a tin containing her medicine—one of the few belongings she has left. “I have nothing left, except the kindness of strangers who help me survive day to day.”