An Israeli soldier has been killed during clashes with Palestinian gunmen in Jenin in the West Bank. Another soldier was seriously wounded, the army said Saturday night.
During a raid, troops reportedly encountered two gunmen, who the army said belonged to the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas. Both were killed during a firefight with them, the army said.
The Ministry of Health in Ramallah confirmed that it had been informed by Israeli authorities about the deaths of two Palestinians following the fighting.
The bodies are in the custody of the military, the ministry said. Hamas identified one of the two as a member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamist organization.
Israel launched a military operation in the northern West Bank on Wednesday, with the army justifying the move by citing a significant increase in attacks on Israelis. The aim is to target both Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
The large-scale military operation in Jenin continues, Palestinians reported on Saturday.
Israeli soldiers prevented Palestinian civil defense workers from bringing water to a hospital, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The director of the Jenin Governmental Hospital told the agency there are concerns that a shortage of clean water would particularly affect patients with kidney diseases who require dialysis treatments.
The affected hospital also said that the power line that supplied the clinic was destroyed. As a result, several departments had to be merged and the use of air conditioning units was stopped.
In addition, services for patients with kidney disease have been suspended and they are being transferred to medical facilities in Nablus until the situation improves, reports said.
WAFA reported that the water pipes supplying the hospital were damaged by the Israeli military operation and several parts of Jenin have been cut off from water supply.
There are also said to be power outages in some places.
Israel launched simultaneous military operations in Jenin, Tulkarem and Tubas on Wednesday, amid reports of a significant increase in attacks against Israelis.
The Israeli military said 20 Palestinian militants had been killed in gun battles and airstrikes since the start of the large-scale operation. Dozens of explosive devices had been destroyed and numerous weapons seized, it said.
Three other operations in the West Bank
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said earlier on Saturday that they had “neutralized” suspects following three security incidents in the West Bank.
The first incident occurred late Friday in the Israeli settlement of Karmei Tzur, north of the city of Hebron, the IDF said. “A report of a shooting was received,” the military said, adding that “the suspect was neutralized at the scene.”
In another incident at around 1:00 a.m. Saturday (22:00 GMT Friday), a vehicle caught fire and exploded at a gas station at Gush Etzion Junction in the southern West Bank, southeast of the Palestinian autonomous city of Bethlehem.
“IDF soldiers sent to the scene opened fire and eliminated the terrorist who was in the vehicle and attempted to attack them,” the IDF said. “Security forces are conducting scans of the area to rule out the possibility of additional terrorists.”
The third incident occurred at the entrance to Karmei Tzur. According to the IDF, “terrorists attempted to ram a guard” there in the early hours of Saturday “and infiltrated the community.”
“IDF soldiers were sent to the scene and one terrorist was eliminated. Security services are conducting scans to rule out the possibility of additional terrorists in the area.”
According to the Israeli army, it is not yet clear whether the three incidents are connected. There are reports of “a number of injuries”.
Background to the violence in the West Bank
The situation in the West Bank has deteriorated significantly since the start of the war in Gaza, which was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel’s history on October 7, which left more than 1,200 people dead. The massacre was carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups.
According to the Ministry of Health, more than 640 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, confrontations or their own attacks in the West Bank.
Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians has also increased during this period.
Hamas Authority says many dead in Gaza after Israeli attacks
In the Gaza Strip, 89 people have been killed in Israeli attacks over the past two days, the Hamas-controlled health authority said on Saturday.
The number of Palestinians killed in the coastal strip since the war began has risen to 40,691, the Gaza authority said.
The Hamas authority’s figures cannot currently be independently verified.
The Israeli military said it was continuing its operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip.
In Gaza City, troops said they had neutralized several “terrorist cells” and destroyed “terrorist and military structures” that posed a threat to soldiers.
According to statements from the army, terrorists were also targeted in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah and a large quantity of weapons was found.
Israel strikes targets in Lebanon after Hezbollah attacks
The Israeli military said Saturday morning that it had struck targets in neighboring Lebanon that it said were the source of a barrage of projectiles.
According to the Israeli military, sirens sounded in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel on Friday evening after some 40 missile launchers were launched across the border from Lebanon.
According to the Israeli army, some of the projectiles were intercepted, while a number of others landed in the area. No injuries were reported.
According to the military, the fire sources were hit and the Israeli air force hit a number of Hezbollah launchers in southern Lebanon.
Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip in October, there have been daily military clashes between the Israeli army and the pro-Iranian militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel is preparing for a larger attack after the killing of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut on July 30.
