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.

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.”

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.

At least 10 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the northern West Bank, Palestinian authorities said on Wednesday. The Israeli military said it targeted a group of armed men with an aircraft in the West Bank town of Tamun but did not provide further details.

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.

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.