An ambulance drives past an Israeli military vehicle as smoke rises from objects set on fire by Palestinian rioters, in the West Bank city of Jenin, on January 26, 2023. (Zain Jaafar / AFP)

In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces said troops entered the Jenin refugee camp to foil imminent attack plans by a local wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group. The PIJ branch in Jenin said its members fought against the Israeli army with guns and pre-installed explosive devices.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a video conference with Israeli security officials to assess the situation following the clash. The Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip and the PIJ in the West Bank called on Palestinians to retaliate. Israeli authorities are concerned about a new wave of violence following the incident.