Two Palestinians killed in West Bank clashes
An Israeli soldier and two Palestinians were killed in clashes early on Wednesday near Jenin in the occupied West Bank, an area hit by waves of recent deadly unrest.
Israel’s army said a major “was killed overnight during operational activity adjacent to the Gilboa Crossing during an exchange of fire with Palestinian terrorists.”
The Palestinian health ministry confirmed “the martyrdom of the two young men” in clashes near the checkpoint known to Palestinians as Jalameh, north of Jenin.
The official Palestinian news agency Wafa identified the dead Palestinians as Ahmed Ayman Ibrahim Abed, 23, and Abdul Rahman Hani Subhi Abed, 22, originally from the village of Kufr Dan outside Jenin. The Jalameh checkpoint is a major through fare for goods coming into the West Bank from Israel.
Security has been tightened as Israeli football club Maccabi Haifa host French giants Paris Saint-germain in a Champions League tie later on Wednesday at their base just 60 kilometres from Jenin.
Wafa news agency added that 12o ther Palestinians were arrested in overnight raids across the West Bank. Local authorities in Jenin announced a city-wide strike in response to the two deaths
The Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad both lauded the Israeli soldier’s death, but neither confirmed that its fighters were involved in the gun batle.
A Hamas spokesperson praised the “heroic operation that was carried out by the resistance fighters.”
Wafa added that 12 other Palestinians were arrested in overnight raids across the West Bank.
Local authorities in Jenin announced a citywide strike in response to the two deaths.
Israel’s army chief Aviv Kohavi in a statement extended “his deepest, deepest condolences,” to the slain soldier’s family and girlfriend. “We will embrace them,” he said. Jenin has suffered near relentless violence in recent months, part of a deadly flare up that began in mid-march.
There have been deadly atacks on Israeli targets, mostly by Palestinians.
In response, Israel has launched near nightly raids on West Bank towns and cities that have killed dozens of Palestinians, including fighters.
On Sunday, a Palestinian claimed as a member by the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade - the armed wing of president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah movement - died from wounds sustained during clashes with Israeli troops in Jenin camp.
Last week, armed forces chief Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi said “around 1,500 wanted people were arrested and hundreds of atacks prevented” in the operations.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 when it captured the territory from Jordan.
About 475,000 Jewish setlers currently live in the West Bank in communities considered illegal by most of the international community, alongside some 2.8 million Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Wednesday’s violence was the latest in a long string of incidents involving deadly confrontations between soldiers and Palestinians in the West Bank in recent months, particularly around the city of Jenin, which has become a bastion for armed struggle against Israel.
Israel has been carrying out nightly arrest raids in West Bank cities, towns and villages since a spate of atacks against Israelis in the spring killed 19 people.
Israeli fire has killed scores of Palestinians during that time, making it the deadliest year in the occupied territory since 2016.
The Israeli military says the vast majority of those killed were militants or stone-throwers who endangered the soldiers.
But several civilians have also been killed during Israel’s months long operation, including a veteran journalist and a lawyer who apparently drove unwitingly into a batle zone.
Some local youths who took to the streets in response to the invasion of their neighbourhoods have also been killed.
Israel says the arrest raids are meant to dismantle militant networks that have embedded themselves. The Palestinians say the operations are aimed at maintaining Israel’s 55-year military occupation of territories they want for an independent state.
Israel captured the West Bank, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, in the 1967 Mideast war and the Palestinians seek those territories for a future state.