IDF troops come under fire in Nablus; 16 Palestinians arrested in overnight raids

Israeli troops came under gunfire in the early hours of Tuesday morning during an arrest raid in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, the military said.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, troops operated extensively throughout the West Bank overnight, arresting 16 wanted Palestinians, including one in Nablus.

“During the operation, shots were fired in the area, troops fired back at the source of the gunfire,” the army said, adding that no soldiers were hurt in the incident.

There were no reports of Palestinians hurt in the incident either.

This spring, the IDF launched a major anti-terror offensive mostly focused on the northern West Bank to deal with a series of Palestinian attacks that have left 29 people in Israel and the West Bank dead since the start of the year.

The operation has netted more than 2,000 arrests in near-nightly raids, but has also left over 130 Palestinians dead, many of them — but not all — while carrying out attacks or during clashes with security forces.

Israeli troops operate in the West Bank, early November 22, 2022. (Israel Defense Forces)

The suspects arrested early Tuesday were taken to be questioned by the Shin Bet security agency.

In recent months, Palestinian gunmen have repeatedly targeted troops operating in the West Bank, as well as military posts, troops operating along the West Bank security barrier, Israeli settlements and civilians on the roads.

The chief of the Military Intelligence Directorate said Monday that the army had identified “Iranian fingerprints also in the Palestinian arena.”

On Monday, a Palestinian man was killed in a clash with troops near the northern West Bank city of Jenin.