Israeli army kills four armed Palestinians in new operation in Jenin, West Bank

At least four Palestinians were killed on Friday by Israeli army gunfire in a new military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian authorities said, adding that a fifth person was injured.

The Palestinian Authority-affiliated Ministry of Health said in a brief statement posted on its Telegram account that “four martyrs and one seriously injured person have arrived at Jenin Public Hospital as a result of the occupation’s aggression against the city.”

The Israeli army has confirmed that it is “operating in the Jenin area” and has stated that a drone has carried out a bombing in the area in the context of “an exchange of fire with terrorists who were entrenched in a building.”

Jenin has been the epicenter of Israeli military operations for months, including one in July 2023 that was the largest in the West Bank since the Second Intifada (2000-2005). The city and its refugee camp are home to numerous armed groups, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the armed wing of Fatah.

The operation is part of a surge in violence since 2023, which has intensified following the attacks carried out on October 7 by Hamas and other Palestinian militias, which left around 1,200 dead and nearly 240 kidnapped. Since then, the Gaza authorities, controlled by the Islamist group, have reported more than 38,000 dead as a result of the Israeli offensive, in addition to more than 550 Palestinians killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.