west Bank Raid Leaves Three Palestinian Militants Dead
JENIN, West Bank – Israeli forces killed three palestinian militants during a raid in the West Bank city of Jenin on Monday, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources. The incident underscores the ongoing violence in the region despite a recent ceasefire in Gaza.
The Israeli military reported conducting counterterrorism operations in the West Bank, stating its forces targeted militants.Hamas, the militant group controlling Gaza, condemned the strike and identified two of the deceased as members of its Qassam Brigades. The identity of the third man was described only as a “comrade.”
This latest clash occurs against a backdrop of escalating tensions and Israeli military operations aimed at dismantling militant networks in the West Bank. Palestinians and human rights organizations assert that a meaningful number of civilians have been killed and tens of thousands displaced during these operations.
separately,41 unidentified Palestinian bodies were buried in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah on Monday,part of a larger exchange with Israel for the return of hostages. israel has so far returned 195 Palestinian bodies from its custody, fewer than half of whom have been identified. The return of these bodies followed the release of the last 20 living hostages held in Gaza, in exchange for approximately 2,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Many of those prisoners had been detained for years without charge, while others were convicted in connection with attacks on Israelis.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports over 68,500 Palestinians have died in the two-year conflict, though it does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. These figures are considered generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts, though israel disputes the numbers without providing an choice count.
