EU condemns Israel over excessive force used in Jenin raid

UN Chief Antonio Guterres says the operation 'severely damaged' the camp's infrastructure

A child stands in a damaged building after an Israeli military operation at the Jenin refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank. Reuters

The EU's representative to the Palestinian territories has condemned Israel over the level of force employed in a deadly raid this week on Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

Sven Kuehn von Burgsdorff spoke as he led a delegation of UN officials and diplomats from 25 countries to the camp in the occupied West Bank.

“This cycle of violence has to end, it cannot continue," he said.

"If there is no political solution to the conflict, we are going to stand here in a week's time, in a month's time, in a year's time, with nothing changed.”

The Israeli operation led to the death of 12 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier.

The comments by Mr Kuehn von Burgsdorff echoed UN Chief Antonio Guterres, who said Israeli forces excessively used force during the 48-hour operation, the most extensive in the Palestinian territory for years.

The operation involved air strikes and armoured bulldozers tearing up streets.

The Jenin camp, housing about 18,000 people in an area of just 0.43 square kilometres, has been the site of numerous large-scale raids by the Israeli military this year.

It saw the largest operation in the occupied West Bank since the second Palestinian “intifada” or uprising in the early 2000s.

This week's operation in Jenin, which Israel claims was aimed at militants, severely damaged the camp's infrastructure.

The UN said eight kilometres of water pipes and three kilometres of sewage pipes were destroyed, with more than 100 houses and several schools also damaged.

In the aftermath of the raid, Leni Stenseth, deputy commissioner-general of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), made an urgent plea for funds to help rebuild the camp.

“To restore services and scale up support to the children, we need cash. Our appeal is desperately underfunded,” she said.

In response, Algeria announced a $30 million donation to help rebuild Jenin, while the UAE pledged $15 million.

Meanwhile, Israel's UN ambassador Gilad Erdan urged Secretary General Antonio Guterres to retract his condemnation, saying the Israeli military action was solely aimed at tackling "Palestinian terror" targeting innocent Israeli civilians.

Despite this, Mr Guterres maintained his stance, criticising the operation for its widespread damage, displacement of thousands of residents, and disruption of essential services.

In a briefing to the UN Security Council, Mr Erdan insisted that over the past year, 52 Israelis were killed by Palestinians, and many attacks were orchestrated from Jenin or the surrounding area.

He appealed for an unconditional condemnation of the latest Palestinian attacks and accountability from the Palestinian leadership.