TEL AVIV/RAMALLAH: At least four Palestinians were killed and more than 40 were injured in an Israeli army operation in Jenin in the West Bank on Wednesday.
Palestinian sources said Israeli soldiers surrounded the house of the family of a man who shot dead three people in a Tel Aviv shop in April.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said that in addition to the four killed, more than 40 were injured in an exchange of gunfire.
“Israeli security forces operated in the Jenin Camp to apprehend two suspects involved in shooting attacks,” the Israeli army said in a statement.
“Earlier this morning, security forces operated in the Jenin Camp in order to apprehend two suspects involved in a number of recent shooting attacks.”
The statement said that while surrounding the residence in which both suspects were located, “an explosive device detonated and the suspects opened fire toward the security forces.
The security forces fired back according to standard operating procedures and the two suspects were both killed.”
One of the suspects was “the brother of the activist who murdered three Israeli civilians in the shooting attack in Tel Aviv earlier this year,” the statement said.
Israeli soldiers also detained several other suspects in Judea and Samaria during the night, they said. “Exchanges of fire between armed Palestinian activists and Israeli security forces in the Jenin area are continuing at present,” the statement said.
Video footage of the scene showed dense smoke rising from rooftops.
Three men were killed in the attack on Tel Aviv’s busy Dizeng off Street in April, and five other people were injured when the attacker shot people in the bar. Israeli forces said they shot dead the attacker, a 28-year-old Palestinian from Jenin, after a lengthy search.
The Israeli security forces have intensified raids across the West Bank following a wave of attacks in the spring that left several Israelis dead.
Israel has controlled the West Bank and East Jerusalem since a 1967 war, but both are claimed by Palestinian groups who one day hope to use the area to set up their own country. – dpa
