Israeli raid in West Bank city of Jenin kills 3 Palestinians

Israeli forces killed three Palestinians during an overnight raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin by undercover agents, the military said on Wednesday.

The Palestinian health ministry confirmed at least one death in the Israeli attack, the latest in a months-long intensified military crackdown and raids across the occupied West Bank since 7 October.

Palestinian news agency Wafa reported Israeli forces storming the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin and the Jenin refugee camp during overnight raids. 

According to the outlet, swathes of Israel’s undercover forces, also known as the Musta'ribeen, raided Jenin on Tuesday evening, which led to the killing of 26-year-old Arif Marwan Arif Ali in Qalqilya's Kafr Qaddum. He was the only identified victim of the raids so far, according to Palestinian sources.

"An undercover Israeli force besieged two houses in the camp sparking violent confrontations during which three Palestinians were also injured," Wafa said, adding that troops also struck "a house with a missile" in the city's refugee camp. 

The news agency said that several infrastructures across Jenin were destroyed, including Haifa Street’s Al-Ahmadin Roundabout, Military Street, Yahya Ayyash Roundabout, Al-Jalbouni Roundabout, Watermelon Roundabout, and Al-Hathnawi Roundabout- where Palestinian residents’ homes were also damaged. 

Other vehicles were destroyed during the raid, as one vehicle was also set on fire. 

“[Israeli] forces bombed a house with a missile in Al-Samran neighbourhood in the camp, owned by resident Mohammad Abu Jaber, and subjected dozens of young men to field investigation,” the Palestinian news outlet said. 

Eight people were additionally subsequently detained, following raids in the homes of Jenin camps, who were listed as the following: Abdul Rahman Nidal Sabaya, Fadi Issam Sabaya, Hatem Sabri Masharqa, Tawfiq Muhammad Murad, Adham Samir Abu Tabikh, Adham Mutee Al-Saadi, and brothers Faris and Imran Jaber Al-Shalab. 

Israeli forces have since issued a statement on Wednesday that stated three Palestinian fighters were killed during the overnight raid. The military had not confirmed the names of the deceased. 

"In a joint counterterrorism activity in the city of Jenin, [Israeli] soldiers apprehended 14 suspects, killed three terrorists and struck additional terrorists," the army said in a statement. 

"During the activity, the soldiers located weapons and exposed explosive devices planted under routes in order to attack [Israeli] soldiers." 

Israeli raids were already increasing across the West Bank and had only escalated since the war on Gaza began. 

Israeli troops and settlers have killed at least 400 Palestinians in the West Bank since 7 October, according to the Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah. 

AFP also contributed to this report.