Israeli troops withdraw from Jenin in the West Bank

(Patria) - Israeli forces have withdrawn from the Palestinian city of Jenin, after carrying out one of their largest military operations in the occupied West Bank.

Two witnesses said they saw convoys of Israeli military vehicles leaving Jenin after dark, marking the end of an Israeli operation that began early on Monday.

"We are now concluding the mission, and I can say that our extensive activity in Jenin is not a one-off operation," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a checkpoint near the city.

12 Palestinians were killed, at least five of them fighters, and one Israeli soldier. The operation, which the army said aimed to destroy militant infrastructure and weapons in the Jenin refugee camp, was launched on Monday with a drone strike, and over 1,000 soldiers were deployed, Reuters reported.

The densely populated refugee camp, home to about 14,000 people in less than half a square kilometer, is one of the hotspots of a wave of violence that has gripped the West Bank, causing growing international alarm.

Hours after forces began to withdraw, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired five rockets towards Israel, the army said. The rockets were intercepted and there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Electricity and water supply remained cut off in the camp and in some parts of the city after bulldozers, which were clearing roads in search of improvised explosive devices, cut cables and the main water pipe.

About 100 people were injured, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said, 20 of them seriously.

Islamic Jihad claims that four of the 12 killed were its fighters. Hamas acknowledged the fifth. The status of the others was unclear. Israeli officials said that, as far as they knew, no civilians were killed.

International reaction to the operation was mixed. The United States said it respected Israel's right to defend itself but said it was imperative to avoid civilian casualties. The European Union said it was seriously concerned about the escalation, and United Nations bodies expressed alarm at the scale of the military action. The UN Security Council said it would meet behind closed doors at the request of the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain condemned the Israeli operation.