The Israel Defense Forces insisted it was “not forcing the Palestinians to evacuate,” but said it had “allowed residents of the camp to evacuate … through an organized and secured point.”

In the days since a fragile ceasefire took hold in the Gaza Strip, Israel has launched a major military operation in the occupied West Bank and suspected Jewish settlers have rampaged through two Palestinian towns.

Days into the Gaza ceasefire, the head of Israel's Shin Bet security service has signalled that the country's focus is switching to Palestinian armed groups in the occupied West Bank. Ronen Bar said Israel was in the midst of a multi-front campaign, but that "right now, it's Samaria's [northern West Bank] time".

The city of Jenin, a Palestinian militant stronghold in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has become a new front for Israel days after it reached a ceasefire deal with Hamas that suspended a 15-month-old war in Gaza.

Israel is pressing ahead with a large-scale raid in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian authorities accused Israel of "collective punishment" and said the raid was part of an Israeli plan aimed at "gradually annexing the occupied West Bank.