Palestinian killed in clash with IDF soldiers; 25 suspects arrested in West Bank

A Palestinian man was killed during clashes with Israeli forces who were conducting an arrest raid early Wednesday in the northern West Bank, Palestinian health officials said.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, troops entered the Far’a refugee camp, between Jenin and Tubas, to arrest a wanted Palestinian. The area has seen repeated clashes in recent weeks.

“During the operation, an improvised explosive device was thrown and shots were fired at the forces, who responded with gunfire,” the IDF said, adding that it was aware of a Palestinian fatality.

The Palestinian Authority health ministry named the deceased as Yunis Ghassan Tayeh, 21.

Elsewhere in the West Bank, the IDF said troops seized an M-16 assault rifle during the arrest of a Palestinian accused of terror activities in Nablus.

In the town of Yamun near Jenin, the IDF said “forces fired at gunmen who fired at them.”

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Troops also seized a handgun and other weapon parts, as well as NIS 6,000 ($1,750) in cash allegedly “intended for terror,” in several towns in the central West Bank.

In total, 25 wanted Palestinians were detained overnight, the military said. No Israeli soldiers were hurt during the operations.

Tensions have escalated recently, as Israeli security forces stepped up arrest raids in an operation launched following a deadly wave of terror attacks that left 19 people dead earlier this year.

IDF chief of staff Aviv Kohavi said Monday that over 1,500 wanted terror suspects had been arrested in the raids and “hundreds of attacks” were prevented.

Meanwhile, at least 90 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces so far this year, according to a tally from the Palestinian Authority health ministry. It included Palestinians who carried out attacks inside Israel, as well as a veteran journalist (Al Jazeera’s Shireen Abu Akleh, who held US citizenship and whose death was deemed an accident by the IDF on Monday), and teens who violently protested in response to Israel’s nightly military operations in their neighborhoods.

On Sunday, seven people were wounded when three Palestinians opened fire at a bus carrying soldiers, including the civilian driver who was seriously injured. Six troops were left with non-life-threatening injuries. Two of the gunmen were captured and a third escaped.

Kohavi on Monday slammed the Palestinian Authority for its inability to govern areas in the northern West Bank, where troops have repeatedly come under gunfire during nightly raids, during the months-long operation aimed at preventing Palestinian terrorists from committing attacks.

Agencies contributed to this report.