At least nine Palestinians were killed this morning in clashes with Israeli soldiers in the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced.
"The situation in the (Palestinian refugee) camp is critical," Palestinian Health Minister Mai-Al Kaila said in a statement, adding that Israeli soldiers threw canisters of tear gas into the children's ward of the hospital there, France Press reported.
The Israeli army announced in a short statement that it had entered the Jenin refugee camp, a stronghold of extremists in the West Bank, where suspected extremists have been arrested almost every day for almost a year, but did not reveal other details, AP reported.
Israel's public service Khan reported that soldiers intended to arrest an Islamic Jihad member who was allegedly preparing a major "terrorist attack."
The local wing of that extremist organization announced that its members shot at Israeli soldiers and activated explosive devices.
The Palestinian health minister told reporters that a 60-year-old woman and three other Palestinians were killed, and that at least 13 were wounded, but the number of those killed rose sharply.
The Ministry first identified a 24-year-old young man as the latest victim of increased violence.
Explosions and gunfire could be heard in videos published in Palestinian media. One video shows allegedly armed Palestinians shooting down a small Israeli military surveillance drone.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have risen since Israel launched raids last spring after a series of Palestinian attacks that killed 19 people. In attacks by the end of the year, the number of victims increased to 30.
Since the beginning of 2023, 29 Palestinians have been killed, including today's victims.
According to data from the Israeli human rights organization Bezelem, about 150 Palestinians were killed last year, the most since 2004, reports AP.
Israel states that the majority of those killed are extremists, but young people protesting against the raids and other people who were not involved in the clashes were also killed.
Today is one of the deadliest in recent months. The Palestinian health minister said that paramedics could hardly reach the wounded in the middle of the conflict and that the children in the hospital were suffocating from tear gas.
The hospital in Jenin has identified the murdered woman.
The Fatah-affiliated military wing of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades said one of the victims was a member of the group.
Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudayneh condemned the violence and called on the international community to oppose it.
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