Israel destroyed 70% of Jenin's streets, infrastructure, says municipality

By Awad Rjoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Israeli army destroyed about 70% of the streets and infrastructure in Jenin city in northern West Bank during its ongoing military offensive for the fourth consecutive day, local municipality said on Saturday.

“The occupying (Israeli) forces have demolished more than 70% of the city's streets completely (...) to a depth of approximately one to one-and-half meters, which has led to the destruction of water and sewage networks, as well as communication and electricity cables, in the areas that were demolished, initially estimated to cover 20 kilometers,” the Palestine news agency Wafa reported, citing Bashir Matahen, the director of Public Relations and Media at the Jenin Municipality.

He noted that “water has been cut off from 80% of the city and the entire camp due to the destruction of networks and the inability of technical teams to reach these networks to redirect them to other areas.”

Matahen continued: “The municipality teams are unable to access the damaged network areas despite their attempts, during which they were subjected to gunfire from the occupying (Israeli) forces.”

He also pointed out that the Israeli forces “have burned parts of the central vegetable market in the city, and initial estimates of the damage to the market and its commercial shops indicate that they have suffered severe damage, in addition to the destruction of hundreds of homes and vehicles.”

On Wednesday, the Israeli army launched its largest military offensive since 2002 in the cities of Tulkarm and Jenin, as well as in the Al-Fara refugee camp near Tubas, killing 22 Palestinians, according to Palestinian figures.

Tensions have been high across the occupied West Bank amid a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in over 40,600 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7 last year.

At least 675 Palestinians have been killed, nearly 5,400 injured, and over 10,300 arrested in the occupied territory, according to Palestinian figures.

In a landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala