Hundreds of civilians began leaving their homes in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Thursday as Israeli forces continued military action around the city of Jenin, according to Palestinian officials.

"Hundreds of camp residents have begun leaving after the Israeli army, using loudspeakers on drones and military vehicles, ordered them to evacuate the camp," Jenin Governor Kamal Abu al-Rub told the AFP news agency, referring to a refugee camp adjacent to the city.

"There are dozens of camp residents who have begun to leave," Jenin resident Salim Saadi told AFP. "The army is in front of my house. They could enter at any moment."

Jenin: What is Israel doing in the West Bank?

Earlier this week, Israel launched a raid in the Jenin area, which it says is a hotbed of Iranian-supported Palestinian militant activity. The operation started days into a ceasefire in its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the West Bank operation, codenamed "Iron Wall," aimed to "eradicate terrorism" in the area, especially in the refugee camp neighboring Jenin.

Now in its fourth day, the military operation has so far claimed the lives of at least 12 Palestinians and injured 40 more, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and militants in its figures.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday that its troops had killed two members of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad overnight, accusing them of involvement in a bus attack on January 6 that killed three Israelis and injured six more.

However, the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said the two men were members of Hamas, which has also claimed responsibility for the bus attack.

"After an exchange of fire, they were eliminated," read an IDF statement, adding that one Israeli soldier was also wounded. But they insisted they had not asked residents to evacuate the area.

Israel: No evacuation order

"We emphasize that, in order to maintain the safety of residents in the area, the IDF is enabling any resident who chooses to exit from the area to do so via secure and organized routes," an IDF statement to AFP read.

Hundreds of people left their homes in the camp, dragging suitcases or carrying plastic bags of their belongings after they said they heard messages to evacuate.

"Yesterday, we did not want to leave, we were at home," 16-year-old Hussam Saadi told the Reuters news agency. "Today, they sent down a drone to our neighborhood, telling us to leave the camp and that they will blow it up."

The Israeli-occupied West Bank has experienced an upsurge in violence since Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, sparked an Israeli retaliatory invasion of the Gaza Strip.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 850 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began, either by Israeli troops or aggressive, extremist settlers.

During the same period, Israel says that 29 of its citizens, including soldiers, have been killed in the territory, either by Palestinian militant attacks or in Israeli military operations.

Israel captured the West Bank, so-called due its location on the West Bank of the River Jordan, from the state of Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War and has occupied it ever since.

mf/sms (AFP, Reuters)