Israeli military operation in Jenin prompts mass exodus

Between 1,500 and 3,000 Palestinians have left their homes in the Jenin refugee camp amid an ongoing Israeli military attack in the city, according to the Israeli army.

Israel launched its largest military operation in Jenin in more than 20 years, killing at least 10 Palestinians and injuring more than 100 others, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Military spokesman Daniel Hagari said 120 Palestinians were detained in the Jenin refugee camp during the operation.

The Israeli military attack in Jenin came amid rising tensions across the occupied West Bank in recent months and repeated Israeli raids into Palestinian towns.

UN agencies alarmed

UN aid agencies on Tuesday voiced alarm at the scale of the ongoing attack in Jenin, where ten Palestinians have been killed, and said there were restrictions on medical access.

"We are alarmed at the scale of air and ground operations that are taking place in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, and air strikes hitting a densely populated refugee camp," Vanessa Huguenin, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, told a briefing, saying three minors were among those killed.

She did not immediately respond to a request for comments on the ages of the victims.

"First responders have been prevented from entering the (Jenin) refugee camp, including to reach persons who have been critically injured," said WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier, referring to restrictions put in place by Israeli forces.

Medical charity MSF said in a statement on Tuesday that military bulldozers had destroyed roads leading to the camp, making it nearly impossible for ambulances to reach patients.

"Palestinian paramedics have been forced to proceed on foot in an area with active gunfire and drone strikes," it said.