Ramallah/Tel Aviv, Mar. 13, (dpa/GNA) – Four people have been killed during Israeli army operations in the West Bank, the Health Ministry in Ramallah said on Wednesday.
Palestinian media reported clashes between militant Palestinians and the army in Jenin, a militant stronghold, with two men said to have been killed in the overnight operation.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its forces had conducted anti-terrorism raids during which one suspect was arrested.
Forces discovered and dismantled explosive devices, it said. Soldiers shot at armed suspects during the operation and hit people in the process, according to the IDF.
A 16-year-old and a 23-year-old Palestinian were killed in a separate incident on Wednesday when Israeli forces opened fire on their vehicle north-west of Jerusalem, according to Palestinian media.
Three people were injured, it said. The circumstances were initially unclear. The IDF is investigating the incident, it said upon request.
The security situation in the occupied West Bank has been even more tense than usual since the outbreak of the latest Gaza war triggered when the Palestinian extremist organization Hamas and other militant groups attacked southern Israel on October 7.
The IDF has increasingly been conducting raids especially in the cities of Nablus and Jenin, which are under administration of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and considered a hotbed for militant groups.
More than 400 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in Israeli military operations, clashes or attacks of their own since October 7, according to the Palestinian health authority there.
Violence by Israeli settlers targeting Palestinians has also been on the rise.
Israel is also expecting further tensions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began in the Palestinian Territories on Monday.
GNA