The mayor of Jenin compared an ongoing Israeli military operation in the northern occupied West Bank city to an “earthquake,” estimating that about $135.2 million of damage had been caused so far, Anadolu reports.

“The greatest loss is in the lives of the martyrs. On a material level, the destruction caused by Israeli forces is immense, including the damage to infrastructure, such as the destruction of water and communication lines and the targeting of electricity transformers,” Nidal al-Obaidi said in an interview with Anadolu.

“The scale of destruction surpasses that of previous operations, with damages estimated at around 500 million shekels ($135.2 million),” he said in the wake of the Israeli offensive in the city of Jenin, its eastern neighbourhood, and refugee camp.

Describing the situation, particularly in the eastern neighbourhood and the camp, the mayor said it was “as if an earthquake has struck the city — massive destruction, streets torn apart, homes demolished, and others blown up.”

Read more here.

Opinion

Geopolitical shift in ME

Geopolitical shift in ME

A prolonged conflict will have far-reaching implications for regional geopolitics, sharpening the divisions among Gulf countries that are directly affected by the tensions.

Editorial

Unyielding stances
Updated 13 May, 2026

Unyielding stances

Every day that passes without clarity on how and when the war will end introduces fresh intensity to the uncertainty roiling global markets and adds to the economic turmoil the world must bear because of it.
Gwadar rising?
13 May, 2026

Gwadar rising?

COULD the Middle East conflict prove to be a boon for the Gwadar port? Islamabad’s push to position Gwadar as a...
Locked in
13 May, 2026

Locked in

THE acquittal of as many as 74 PTI activists by a Peshawar court in a case pertaining to the May 2023 violence is a...
Bannu attack
Updated 12 May, 2026

Bannu attack

The security narrative and strategy of the KP government diverges considerably from the state’s position.
Cotton crisis
12 May, 2026

Cotton crisis

PAKISTAN’S cotton economy is once again facing a crisis that exposes the country’s flawed agricultural and...
Buddhist heritage
12 May, 2026

Buddhist heritage

THE revival of Buddhist chants at the ancient Dharmarajika Stupa in Taxila after nearly 1,500 years is much more ...