At least four Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces during overnight military raids that led to armed confrontations on Sunday in the Jenin and Jerusalem areas of the occupied West Bank.
Mohammad Hleil, spokesman for the Palestinian health ministry, confirmed the killing of three Palestinians from the village of Biddu, northwest Jerusalem, who were identified by their families as Ahmad Zahran, Mahmoud Hmaidan and Zakariya Badwan, according to Al Jazeera.
Israeli forces also killed a resident from the village of Burqin, southwest of Jenin city, who was identified as 22-year-old Osama Soboh, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
The bodies of the three Palestinians from Biddu are in Israeli army custody. The fourth, Osama Soboh, died at the Ibn Sina hospital in Jenin, stated the ministry.
The ministry said there are reports of a fifth Palestinian who was killed, but that they have not received confirmation yet.
According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, Soboh was killed after Israeli forces raided Burqin and surrounded one of the homes, leading to a gun battle with the army.
Zahran, Hmeidan and Badwan were killed during an armed confrontation with the Israeli army after it raided the town of Beit Anan, near Biddu.
The Israeli army raids aimed to arrest “Hamas operatives”, according to Israeli media.
Two Israeli soldiers were “seriously injured” during the armed confrontations, and have been hospitalized, said the same source.
Ahmad Zahran’s family, one of the victims, said Israeli forces had been chasing him for weeks, including with previous army raids on their home, arrests and interrogation of family members, local media reported.
In a statement to local media, they accused the Palestinian Authority of aiding in the Israeli army arrest operation, saying PA forces had also raided their home recently. “The PA is the one who sent the Israelis to us,” they told local media.
In an official statement, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh mourned the four Palestinians.
“Patience and solace to their families and close ones, and freedom to our people from this criminal occupation and its continuous violations against our people,” the statement said.
While Israeli military operations in West Bank towns and villages are a near-daily reality, over the past few months, army raids in the Jenin area have been met with live fire by Palestinian residents.
Last month, the Israeli army killed four Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp during an operation that led to armed confrontations.
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