Conflicts & War

Four Palestinians killed during Israeli raid in West Bank

Jerusalem, Mar 16 (EFE).- At least four Palestinians, including a minor, were killed on Thursday after undercover Israeli forces carried out a raid in the flashpoint West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian officials reported, amid a flare-up of violence in the region.

The Palestinian health ministry said 20 others were wounded by gunfire, four of them critically, and identified the deceased as Omar Awadin, 16, Nedal Khazem, 28, Youssef Saleh, 29, and Loay al-Zaghir, 37.

Israeli undercover special forces infiltrated the central part of Jenin and opened fire from point-blank range, before firing live bullets at citizens and their homes, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The Israeli army, meanwhile, confirmed soldiers were operating in Jenin, adding that two militants from the Islamic Jihad movement were neutralized.

Khazem had allegedly carried out acts of terror, while Saleh manufactured explosives and opened fire at Israeli soldiers, the army claimed, saying another suspect was killed after he tried to attack the soldiers with a crowbar.

An unverified video posted on social media showed plainclothes officers shooting at a Palestinian.

The incident comes amid spiraling violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

At least 85 Palestinians, including 16 children, have been killed this year, an average of more than one per day, following military operations, Palestinian-led attacks and clashes with Israeli troops, the deadliest start to the year in the West Bank since 2000.

On the Israeli side, 14 people died in 2023.

The wave of violence broke out at the end of March last year when the Israeli military launched near-daily raids in the occupied West Bank in response to a series of deadly attacks against Israelis. EFE

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