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Palestinians say Israeli West Bank raid kills 3
Palestinians say Israeli West Bank raid kills 3
Qabatiyah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP): Palestinian officials said Israeli troops killed three Palestinians in a raid in a town in the occupied West Bank Thursday, as Israel's military reported it had "eliminated two wanted suspects".
The raid took place in the town of Qabatiyah near the city of Jenin, said Jenin governor Mohammad Abu Al-Rub who confirmed the "deaths of two martyrs".
The Palestinian Red Crescent said a third Palestinian was also killed in the raid. The Ramallah-based health ministry identified him as 21-year-old Qais Muhammad Zakarneh.
An AFP correspondent reported that the military also launched a raid in the city of Jenin itself. The military said this was part of the Qabatiyah operation in the area of Jenin.
"During the counterterrorism operation, IDF soldiers encircled a structure in which two senior wanted suspects were located in the area of Jenin," a military statement said.
"The soldiers exchanged fire with the wanted suspects, during which a number of shoulder-fired missiles were launched toward the structure.
"The two wanted suspects were eliminated and weapons were found in their possession," the military said, adding that a soldier was lightly wounded in the firefight.
Jenin has long been a stronghold for Palestinian militant groups, and the Israeli army routinely carries out raids in the city and adjacent refugee camp.
The West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has experienced a surge in violence for more than a year, but especially since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza erupted on October 7.
At least 545 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli troops or settlers since the Gaza war broke out, according to Palestinian officials.
Attacks by Palestinians have killed at least 14 Israelis in the West Bank over the same period, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
The Gaza Strip has been gripped by more than eight months of war since Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Militants also took 251 hostages, 116 of whom remain in Gaza, including 41 the army says are dead.
Israel's military offensive on Gaza has since killed at least 37,232 people, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.