Israel withdraws troops from West Bank militant stronghold and warns 2-day raid is not a one-off

By MAJDI MOHAMMED and IMAD ISSEID
Associated Press

JENIN, West Bank (AP) — The Israeli military says it has withdrawn its troops from a militant stronghold in the occupied West Bank. The pullout Wednesday morning ended an intense two-day operation that killed at least 12 Palestinians, drove thousands of people from their homes and left a wide swath of damage in its wake. One Israeli soldier was also killed. The army claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on militant groups in the Jenin refugee camp in an operation that included a series of airstrikes and hundreds of ground troops. But it remained unclear whether there would be any long-lasting effect after nearly a year and a half of heavy fighting in the West Bank.