Israeli Troops’ Raid in West Bank Leaves 3 Palestinians Dead and 29 Injured
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In the city of Jenin, West Bank, a gunbattle between Israeli troops and militants resulted in three Palestinians dead, 29 injured, and Israeli soldiers wounded.
On Monday, smoke was observed billowing into the sky during an Israeli raid in Jenin, located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. (Photo: Reuters)
In a rare display of Israeli airpower in the occupied West Bank, gunships carried out strikes on Monday. The city of Jenin became the battleground as Israeli troops engaged in a fierce gunbattle with militants.
Tragically, three Palestinians lost their lives, among them a 15-year-old boy, according to officials.
The clashes intensified when Palestinian militants detonated a roadside bomb near an Israeli military vehicle. The resulting violence left at least 29 Palestinians wounded, six of whom sustained severe injuries.
Israeli media reported that several Israeli soldiers were also injured. This escalation adds to the ongoing wave of nearly daily violence that has plagued the West Bank for over a year.
According to the Israeli military, troops were fired upon while conducting an arrest raid in Jenin. In response, they exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen. Israeli media confirmed that several Israeli troops were injured during the clash but did not provide further information on their condition.
The army stated that as the security forces were leaving the city, a military vehicle was targeted by an explosive device, resulting in damage. To aid in the extraction of the forces, helicopters were deployed and fired at the gunmen.
Unverified amateur videos emerged from Jenin, showing a possible roadside explosive targeting an Israeli armored vehicle, as well as footage suggesting an Israeli military helicopter firing a rocket in the ongoing operation.
The Israeli military seldom employs aircraft in its operations within the occupied West Bank. Israeli media reported that this marked the first instance of an attack helicopter being used in the territory since the Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s.
The Palestinian Health Ministry has released the names of those killed in the shootout in Jenin. The victims have been identified as Khaled Asasa, 21, Qassam Abu Sariya, 29, and Ahmed Saqr, a 15-year-old. Additionally, at least six others have been seriously wounded in the incident.
Both Israel and the Palestinians have been embroiled in months of violence, primarily concentrated in the West Bank. This year alone, approximately 120 Palestinians have lost their lives in the region. The city of Jenin has particularly been a hotbed of Palestinian militancy.
Israel has been conducting frequent raids in the West Bank in response to a surge in Palestinian violence that began early last year.
While Israel claims that most of those killed were militants, there have also been casualties among stone-throwing protesters and innocent individuals not involved in confrontations.
In the same period, Palestinian attacks against Israelis have resulted in the deaths of at least 20 people. The cycle of violence between the two sides shows no signs of abating.
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