Three Palestinians killed by Israeli troops in Jenin drone strike, heavy clashes
IDF says 2 gunmen targeted by UAV, 3rd man killed after hurling explosives at soldiers in West Bank city; troops destroy vehicle containing primed explosive devices
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
Three Palestinians were killed — two of them in a drone strike — during an arrest raid in the West Bank city Jenin on Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The military said that the two killed in the drone strike were gunmen, and that the third Palestinian killed by Israeli fire during the raid had hurled explosive devices at troops, who responded by opening fire toward the man.
The official Palestinian news agency Wafa named the two killed in the drone strike as Hamza Ararawi, 27, and Muhammad Nasser Al-Sabti, 19.
The army said that combat engineers destroyed a vehicle that contained several primed explosive devices during the raid, which began overnight and continued into the morning.
Two suspects in the car were detained by troops before it was blown up. Combat engineers also uncovered roadside explosives in the city.
One more wanted Palestinian was detained in Jenin, and weapons were seized, the IDF added.
Videos on social media showed army vehicles and bulldozers operating in the northern West Bank city, amid gunfire and at least one large explosion.
???? لحظة استهداف جرافة عسكرية لجيش الاحتلال بعبوة ناسفة بمنطقة جبل مخيم جنين. pic.twitter.com/cfzC1Nvhfc
— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) March 27, 2024
Security forces in Jerusalem and the West Bank have been on high alert since the start of Ramadan last week. Tensions were already high between Israelis and Palestinians due to the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, triggered by the October 7 massacre, which saw Hamas terrorists murder about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnap 253.
Since October 7, the IDF has said troops have arrested some 3,600 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 1,600 affiliated with Hamas.
Palestinians say over 450 people have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since hostilities broke out, most while carrying out attacks or during clashes with IDF troops during nightly raids that have largely concentrated on a handful of areas in the northern West Bank. However, killings of innocent bystanders have also been alleged.
