AFP on Friday reported that 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.

Jenin Siege

The Palestinian Health Ministry announced on Monday that 70 Palestinians have been killed 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 military 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."

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Israeli military bulldozers block the road in front of a Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulance at the entrance to Jenin, as the Israeli army continues its offensive in the city for the 25th day in a row. pic.twitter.com/saOvz2kMd2

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) February 14, 2025

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."

Israeli army bulldozers intimidate Palestinian drivers during the ongoing Israeli military offensive in Jenin, now in its 23rd day. pic.twitter.com/T69EjUqh16

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) February 12, 2025

For some, there was no escape. Sabha Bani Gharra, a 95-year-old resident, was receiving medical treatment for a fracture when the 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."

Read more: Israeli forces kill pregnant Palestinian woman, unborn baby in raid