Nine killed, 20 injured amid Israeli troops' West Bank raid, say Palestinians

Seven gunmen and two civilians have been killed by Israeli forces during a raid in the West Bankon Thursday (January 26), said the Palestinian officials, in what may be the deadliest day on the territory in two decades. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, among those killed was a 60-year-old woman while at least 20 others have been injured out of which four people are in critical condition.

Subsequently, the Palestinian Authority has declared that it would halt security cooperation with Israel over the incident, reported the Associated Press. In a press conference a spokesman for the PA, Nabil Abu Rudeineh also said that it plans to file complaints against Israel to the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Security Council. The PA is a part of shared security ties that the two countries maintain in efforts to contain Islamic militants in the region.

The Israeli military has said they had sent forces to Jenin to detain members of the Islamic Jihad armed group who were plotting “multiple major terror attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers” and shot several of them when they opened fire. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has accused Israel of a “massacre” in the flashpoint town of Jenin.

Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard during a live ammunition raid on the Jenin refugee camp where Israeli troops surrounded buildings and clashed with Palestinian militants, on Thursday morning, reported BBC citing video footage. Similarly, a Palestinian-Dutch filmmaker at the scene told the Guardianthat armed Palestinians opened fired at an Israeli armoured vehicle following which Israeli forces retaliated and this led to a fierce four-hour gun battle.

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The armed group Islamic Jihad said two of its men were killed during the Israeli raid on Jenin while four other gunmen were claimed by the armed wing of the Palestinian president’s faction, Hamas, reported Reuters. Furthermore, amid the clashes, youths were reportedly seen pelting stones at Israel’s armoured vehicles.

No Israeli casualties have been reported so far. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), they surrounded a building where three armed suspects were “neutralised” after they opened fire while one other surrendered. Furthermore, they said that their troops were shot at by Palestinian gunmen and retaliated by hitting the targets and said they were looking into “claims regarding additional casualties”.

In a statement, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, said he is “deeply alarmed and saddened” by the continued violence in the West Bank and remains “actively engaged with Israeli and Palestinian authorities to de-escalate tensions, restore calm, and avoid further conflict”.

(With inputs from agencies)

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