Four Palestinians killed in Israeli military raid in West Bank
Palestinian officials said at least four Palestinians were killed and 44 wounded in the Israeli military raid and heavy fighting in Jenin Wednesday morning, making it one of the deadliest days in the West Bank this year, which has already seen over 100 Palestinians killed.
The Israeli Defense Forces IDF said the raid was related to an attack in Tel Aviv in April, which left three people dead, and that the suspects Wednesday fought back with explosives and gunfire.
IDF troops entered Jenin Refugee Camp to apprehend two suspects involved in a number of recent shooting attacks, the IDF said in a statement.
An explosive device detonated and the suspects opened fire at the security forces while surrounding the residence where both were located. The security forces fired back according to standard operating procedures, and the two suspects were both killed, the IDF said.
One of the killed was identified by Palestinian and Israeli officials as Abdel Al Rahman Khazam, the brother of Raed Khazem, who carried out the shooting attack on a central Tel Aviv bar. Raed Khazem was killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli security forces in Jaffa on April 4.
The three killed on Wednesday were identified by Palestinian health officials as Mohammad Alouna, Ahmad Nazmi Alawneh and Muhammad Abu Na aseh.
According to the state-sponsored Palestinian news agency WAFA, a large army force raided Jenin and its refugee camp this morning, firing in all directions and shooting tear gas canisters while surrounding and shelling a house that belongs to Fathi Hazem, father of Raed and Abed. Videos from Jenin show several Israeli armored military vehicles driving through Jenin as well as fire and large plumes of smoke emanating from a house. A security video appears to show a group of Palestinians firing toward a street. One is shot in the head and falls to the ground. Local journalists identified the man as Alawneh.
The clashes were ongoing as of the middle of the day on Wednesday.
The Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement that the Israeli occupation continues to play with the lives of our Palestinian people, and is tampering with security and stability by continuing its policy of escalation. Israel is still a state above international law, and Israel and the United States of America have lost their credibility by demanding calm and the preservation of stability, and on the ground practices all forms of escalation, killing and destruction against the Palestinian people, their land and their holy sites, Abu Rudeineh said.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, this is the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since 2015. More than 35 of those killed were in Jenin. Israel says most of the killed were engaged violently with soldiers during military operations, but dozens of unarmed civilians have been killed, human rights groups including B Tselem have said.
Israel has been regularly raiding cities in the West Bank for months, focusing on Jenin and Nablus, saying it is targeting militants and their weapon caches before they can get into Israel and carry out attacks. The operation, called Breaking the Wave by the IDF, was launched after a series of attacks on Israelis. At least 20 Israelis and foreigners have been killed this year in attacks against civilians and soldiers in Israel and the West Bank.