Three Palestinians were killed on Wednesday in clashes with Israeli security forces during an arrest operation in the occupied West Bank, in a new day of violence in the region, which has been experiencing a significant upsurge in tension for weeks.
The deaths were confirmed by the Palestinian National Authority (PA) Ministry of Health, which identified the dead as Mohammad Mahmoud Alouneh, Ahmad Nathmi Alawneh and Abed Fathi Hazem. Hazem’s death was further confirmed by an Israeli army spokesman, who identified him as the brother of Raad Hazem, considered responsible for the deaths of three Israelis in a shooting in Tel Aviv on April 7. Hazem was killed after an intense raid to find his whereabouts shortly after the attack.
The official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, detailed that Hazem and Alouneh were killed during the siege of a house in Jenin where they were staying, while Alawaneh was killed by a bullet in the head in the framework of armed clashes between armed Palestinian youths and Israeli soldiers in the surrounding streets. Wafa further reported that 10 other Palestinians were injured during the Israeli operation, two of whom are in critical condition.
These incidents take place within the framework of a strong spiral of violence in the region, marked by incessant raids by the Israeli police and army in West Bank territory and an increase in attacks by Palestinians against Israeli military targets or settlers in recent weeks. Since March, Israel has launched hundreds of operations in the northern West Bank, including areas of Jenin and Nablus, to search for people accused of involvement in deadly attacks on Israelis.
Follow us on
