Israeli army says killed two Palestinian militants in West Bank

RAMALLAH (AFP) : The Israeli military said Thursday it killed two Palestinian militants overnight near the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, where a large-scale raid is underway, accusing them of murdering three Israelis.

In a statement, the military said that Israeli forces found the two militants barricaded in a house in the village of Burqin.

“After an exchange of fire, they were eliminated by the forces,” it said, adding one soldier was injured in the exchange.

The military identified those killed as Mohammed Nazzal and Qutaiba Shalabi, accusing them of being “affiliated with Islamic Jihad” and responsible for a deadly shooting on an Israeli bus in early January.

The Ramallah-based Palestinian health ministry said Israeli authorities had informed it of the deaths of Nazzal, 25, and Shalabi, 30.

“The bodies are being withheld” by the army, it added in a statement.

Three Israelis were killed and six injured in a January 6 attack near the village of Al-Funduq, also in the West Bank.

Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said at the time he had directed the military to “act with force” to find the attackers, vowing on X that “anyone who… enables or supports the murder and harm of Jews will pay a heavy price.”

The night that followed the attack saw several instances of violent altercations with settlers in that part of the West Bank, including in the village of Hajja, whose mayor told AFP it had come under attack.

Violence has surged throughout the occupied West Bank since the Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 850 Palestinians in the West Bank since the conflict began.

During the same period, at least 29 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations in the territory, according to Israeli official figures.