Two Palestinian gunmen killed as IDF raids hideout apartment in West Bank’s Nablus
Military says troops detonate several primed explosives at Balata refugee camp residence, used by terror operatives planning attacks; no soldiers hurt in clash
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Two Palestinian gunmen were shot dead Saturday morning by Israeli troops in the Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, the military and Palestinian health officials said.
The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry said Saed Jihad Shaker Mashah, 32, and Adnan Wasim Yousef al-Araj, 19, were both fatally shot in the head during clashes with Israeli soldiers.
The ministry said another three were wounded in the clashes.
The Israel Defense Forces said troops raided a hideout apartment in the camp used by terror operatives who were planning to carry out attacks.
Troops broke into the residence and located and seized explosives, firearms, and other military equipment, the IDF said. Several primed explosive devices were detonated by troops in the apartment, the military added.
Amid the raid, Palestinian gunmen opened fire at troops, and others hurled explosive devices, the IDF said.
“[Troops] responded with riot dispersal means and live fire, two of the gunmen were killed,” the military said in a statement.
No Israeli soldiers were hurt during the operation.
The IDF did not say if the soldiers had arrested any suspects.
Israeli troops have been conducting frequent arrest raids in Palestinian cities, often coming under fire by local gunmen. Several Israeli soldiers have been wounded in such shootouts in recent weeks.
Images circulating online showed al-Araj brandishing a firearm, indicating his affiliation with an armed group.
الشهيد وسيم الأعرج
إبن كتيبة بلاطة وشهداء الأقصى pic.twitter.com/nCcYYzMxc5— بهاء???????? (@EYAD61065811) May 13, 2023
Local terror groups did not immediately claim al-Araj and Mashah as members.
Graphic footage from the scene of the incident showed the two men lying on the ground covered in blood.
In other clips shared by Palestinian media, gunfire could be heard across the camp.
⭕️شاهد| تعزيزات لقوات الاحتلال تصل إلى مخيم بلاطة شرق نابلس pic.twitter.com/jkfey0zywA
— إذاعة الأقصى – عاجل (@Alaqsavoice_Brk) May 13, 2023
Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians have been elevated for the past year, with the IDF conducting near-nightly raids in the West Bank amid a series of deadly Palestinian terror attacks.
Since the beginning of the year, Palestinian attacks in Israel and the West Bank have killed 19 people and left several more seriously hurt. At least 106 West Bank Palestinians have been killed during that span, most of them while carrying out attacks or during clashes with security forces, but some were uninvolved civilians and others were killed under circumstances that are being investigated.
The raid on Saturday came as tensions were high, five days after Israel launched an offensive against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group in the Gaza Strip.
