Several armed militants and a civilian have been killed in an Israeli military operation in Jenin in the West Bank, Israeli and Palestinian media reported on Friday.
The Health Ministry in Ramallah said a total of seven Palestinians were killed – six militants and a civilian. The Israeli military confirmed the operation in the city, in which soldiers exchanged fire with militants surrounded in a building.
A plane attacked and “eliminated” a group of gunmen, the army said. Israeli forces also killed two men inside the house who they said had taken part in an earlier attack that killed an Israeli soldier.
According to Palestinian reports, a drone fired a missile at the house, killing four fighters. The Health Ministry said the victims were aged between 20 and 30.
According to Hamas, the 30-year-old killed was one of its members, while the other killed were members of other armed groups, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
Jenin is seen as a stronghold of Palestinian militants and is the scene of frequent raids by Israeli forces.
The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported other clashes in Jenin on Friday. According to the ministry, a 54-year-old man was shot dead during another raid by Israeli forces in the city. The Israeli army did not initially comment on the incident.
The situation in the West Bank has deteriorated dramatically since the start of the war in Gaza, which broke out in response to the Hamas massacre in southern Israel on October 7.
Health officials say 543 Palestinians have since been killed in Israeli military operations, confrontations or as a result of their own attacks in the West Bank.
During this period, settler violence against Palestinians also increased again.
