Israeli soldier killed as IDF withdraws from Jenin, completing Operation Home and Garden

Operation House and Garden came to an end on Wednesday morning with the withdrawal of all Israel Defense Forces and security forces from the Jenin refugee camp. 

IDF spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Daniel Hagari announced that the IDF had completed all mission goals. 

The operation was the largest IDF operation in the West Bank city of Jenin in 20 years. 

Twelve terrorists were killed in the operation, and one IDF soldier was killed in heavy fighting Tuesday evening, according to reports.

The IDF soldier was identified as Sergeant Major David Yehuda Yitzhak from Bet El.

Yitzhak was seriously wounded in an encounter with terrorists during an operation that involved encircling a hospital where terrorists were hiding. There was a close-range encounter in which Yitzhak was seriously wounded and died while being transported to the hospital for treatment. 

During the operation, Israeli security forces located and confiscated thousands of weapons in the refugee camp and in Jenin and interrogated over 300 suspects, 30 of whom were arrested. They also located several apartments and rooms used as operations headquarters and discovered and destroyed six explosive laboratories. Hundreds of improvised explosive devices were found and destroyed, as well as several kilograms of chemicals for manufacturing IEDs. 

The Israeli forces also found several hidden weapons depots and a command and control room under a mosque associated with Palestinian Islamic Jihad. 

As the Israeli military was withdrawing troops from Jenin, the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza launched five rockets into southern Israel, setting off air raid sirens in the city of Sderot. 

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh claimed that the IDF's operation in Jenin was “a failure.” 

“Israel failed and was defeated in Jenin,” Haniyeh said. He also said that Hamas was ready to support Jenin in any way.  

The rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system and the IDF responded by striking two sites used by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. 

According to the IDF, one location was “an underground weapons workshop used by the chemical unit of the Hamas terror group and a site for processing rocket components.”  

No injuries were reported from the rocket fire in Gaza, although one house was damaged by falling debris. 

This marks the first launch of rockets from Gaza since Operation Shield and Arrow in May. 

Videos posted to social media showed several Iron Dome interceptions over the skies of Sderot.