Israeli forces kill several armed Palestinians in raid
At least seven Palestinians had been killed, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported.
Israel’s military said “several” armed Palestinians were killed during a battle that broke out during a military raid to arrest suspects allegedly involved in a shooting attack against Israelis.
At least seven Palestinians had been killed, Israel’s state-owned Kan TV news reported.
The Palestinian Health Ministry did not immediately confirm the deaths, saying in a statement that at least three people had been wounded, and one had sustained critical injuries.
The Israeli military said in a statement that the raid on the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp in the West Bank was aimed at arresting two shooters allegedly behind a failed shooting attack at a restaurant in an Israeli settlement on Jan. 28. The attack failed due to a firearm malfunction, and the suspects fled toward Jericho.
The raid occurred two days after a previous raid in the Aqabat Jabr camp, where troops were also searching for the suspects. The camp is located southwest of Jericho, a desert oasis where such violence is rare.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Jericho and its surroundings have been under “a tight Israeli closure” for the past two weeks.
The raid came during a period of heightened tensions that have drawn fears of a further escalation in violence.
