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Israeli army pulls out from Qabatiya after 5-day closure: Official

Xinhua, February 7, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Israeli army forces pulled out Saturday night from the town of Qabatiya south of the West Bank city of Jenin after a closure of five days.

Brigadier General Ibrahim Ramadan, the Palestinian governor of Jenin, told Xinhua that the Israeli army ground forces pulled out from the town of Qabatiya Saturday night after closing the town for five days and causing big loss in the infrastructure.

"The town will get back to normal on Sunday morning," said Ramadan, adding that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke with him on the phone to make sure that the city is fine after five days of an Israeli large-scale military operation.

According to the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), President Abbas instructed to all Palestinian officials to provide the needed help and support to the town and its population following their severe suffering from the Israeli operation.

"I briefed president Abbas on how the situation looks like in Jenin and in Qabatiya following the Israeli operation. President Abbas told me that the Israeli measures are certainly condemned and rejected," said Ramadan.

Last week, big Israeli army ground forces backed by jeeps, armored vehicles and bulldozers stormed the town and carried out a large-scale operation. Several homes were seized and turned into military posts by the Israeli soldiers.

The Israeli raid on the town came after three young men, residents of the town carried out a shooting attack in the old city in east Jerusalem, where an Israeli border police woman was killed and another one was injured.

The three young men were shot dead and were buried Friday in the town.

A wave of violent tension that broke out between Israelis and the Palestinians in the Palestinian territories in early October had so far left 170 Palestinians and 30 Israelis dead. Endit