Israeli forces will maintain their presence in the Jenin refugee camp following a large-scale raid launched last week, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Wednesday. The crackdown in the West Bank has now entered its second week.

As Israel withdraws some of its troops from Gaza during a cease-fire there, it has turned attention to another Palestinian territory — in particular a city with a history of militant activity.

The Israel Defense Forces insisted it was “not forcing the Palestinians to evacuate,” but said it had “allowed residents of the camp to evacuate … through an organized and secured point.”

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that the army will maintain a presence in Jenin refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank after its ongoing military operation there.

At least 10 people have been killed in the raids, and more than 40 wounded, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Dozens have been arrested, Palestinian officials told the Wafa news agency.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the assault on Jenin would be “extensive and significant,” as the military erected new checkpoints across the West Bank.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi by phone on Friday, China's foreign ministry said, the first call between the two top diplomats since President Donald Trump's administration took office on Monday.

IDF troops being interviewed in Jenin, following IDF operations in the city, January 27, 2025. (credit: Chen Shimmel) Central to the operation are two principles, attack and neutralize, which outline the military’s systematic approach.

The city of Jenin, a Palestinian militant stronghold in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has become a new front for Israel days after it reached a ceasefire deal with Hamas that suspended a 15-month-old war in Gaza.