Almost all the residents have left the refugee neighbourhood in Jenin in the northern West Bank because of Israel’s fierce attacks on militant Palestinians in the area, the United Nations has reported.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said around 30,000 people have sought refuge in the surrounding area. However, sources within the district gave lower estimates of the number of displaced residents, putting the number of people remaining there at around 1,000.
The Israeli army did not initially comment on the report.
An UNRWA spokeswoman said around 100 buildings in the district were destroyed or severely damaged by powerful detonations on Sunday.
Jenin is considered a stronghold of militant Palestinians. On January 21, Israel launched its largest military operation there in years.
The Israelis said around 50 militants have been killed in airstrikes in the past few days. More than 100 suspects have been arrested, dozens of weapons seized and hundreds of explosive devices destroyed, they said.
According to Palestinian reports, a number of civilians have also been killed.
