The besieged northern West Bank city of Jenin and its adjoining refugee camp breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday night as Israeli forces withdrew, ending a two-day military operation that has left the community devastated.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society painted a grim picture of the aftermath, with the death toll standing at 13, and a staggering 150 more injured - 30 of whom are fighting for their lives in critical condition.

"I've lost everything - my meat shop, my car, and even my son is now injured," lamented Ahmed Al-Saady, a Jenin-based Palestinian whose life has been irreversibly affected by the operation. "All residents of the camp have suffered losses. None of us escaped the devastation."

Al-Saady, a 47-year-old father of eight, now faces the bleak reality of being unable to live in his own home, with uncertainty looming over when he can rebuild and restore normality to his life.

In the wake of the destruction, crews from the Palestinian Ministry of Public Works and Housing have sprung into action, attempting to restore a sense of normalcy by rehabilitating roads. Meanwhile, electricity and water repair crews labour to mend major faults inflicted on the networks.

Search efforts for survivors among the rubble are underway, led by civil defence and ambulance crews in coordination with Palestinian security services. They are also on high alert for any remnants left by Israeli forces, which could include suspicious or explosive objects.

The Israeli army defended the harsh operation as a measure to control militants from Palestinian factions, such as the Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), as per a statement from an army spokesperson.

STORY: Jenin Palestinians face destructed homes after Israeli operation
DATELINE: July 6, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:57
LOCATION: JENIN, Palestine
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of destruction in Jenin
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): AHMED AL-SAADY, Jenin-based Palestinian
3. various of destruction in Jenin

STORYLINE:

The Israeli forces pulled out on Tuesday night from the northern West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp, ending two days of a large-scale military operation.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, the operation left 13 Palestinians dead and at least 150 others wounded, including 30 in critical condition.

SOUNDBITE (Arabic): AHMED AL-SAADY, Jenin-based Palestinian
"I own this meat shop, and I had a car. I lost them completely. Now I have a wounded son. All the residents of the camp suffered a loss. None of us could avoid loss in this military operation."

The 47-year-old and his eight-member family will not be able to live in this area.

Al-Saady does not know when he will be funded to rebuild his house and return to his normal life once again.

The crews of the Palestinian Ministry of Public Works and Housing have started leveling and rehabilitating the roads, while the electricity and water crews have been busy repairing major faults that hit the networks.

In addition, civil defense and ambulance crews, in coordination with the Palestinian security services, have begun searching for survivors in houses that were bombed in the camp, or remnants of Israeli forces, for fear of the presence of any suspicious or explosive objects.

An Israeli army spokesman said in a press statement that the military operation aimed to rein in militants of Palestinian factions, including the Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting Jenin, Palestine.
(XHTV)