Six Palestinians, including three militants, were killed by Israeli forces in a raid on Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday night, according to Palestinian health officials. The raid sparked clashes with local gunmen and residents, leaving dozens of people injured.
The Israeli military said it was conducting a counter-terrorism operation in the camp, which is a stronghold of Palestinian militants. It said it used a suicide drone to target a house where armed suspects were hiding, and exchanged fire with them. It also said an explosive device detonated under one of its vehicles as it was leaving the camp, but no soldiers were wounded.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said four people were killed in the raid and about 30 others were wounded. It identified the dead as Mahmoud al-Sadi, 23, Mahmoud Ararawi, 24, Ata Yasser Musa, 29, and Raafat Khamaysi, 21. The Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups claimed al-Sadi, Ararawi and Musa as their members and vowed to retaliate.
Khamaysi was reportedly injured near the entrance of the camp and bled to death as he could not reach the hospital due to the ongoing fighting. A video posted on social media showed a woman with blood-stained hands saying she tried to drag him into her home but he died after two hours.
Another Palestinian man, Dhargham al-Akhras, 19, was killed by Israeli forces in a separate raid in Aqabat Jabr refugee camp near Jericho on Wednesday morning. The Israeli military said he was throwing explosives at the soldiers who were arresting a suspect.
A sixth Palestinian, Mohammed Abu Namous, 27, was killed by Israeli fire during violent protests near the Gaza-Israel fence on Tuesday evening. The Israeli military said it responded to explosive devices and incendiary balloons launched from Gaza toward Israel.
The latest violence comes amid a surge of tensions in the West Bank and Gaza over the past year and a half. Israel has intensified its raids on Palestinian areas, while Palestinian attacks against Israelis have increased. The clashes have also raised concerns about the stability of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs parts of the West Bank not under full Israeli control.
After the Israeli withdrawal from Jenin camp, the PA said its compound in Jenin city was attacked by gunmen from the camp who accused it of failing to protect them. The PA has been facing growing criticism and protests from Palestinians over its security coordination with Israel and its crackdown on dissent.
The Jenin camp has been the scene of several deadly confrontations between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in recent months. In July, Israel launched its largest operation in the West Bank in nearly two decades, killing four Palestinians and demolishing several buildings in the camp. Israel said it was targeting those responsible for a series of shootings that killed two Israelis.
(With information from BBC News, AP News, and Fox News)
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