Israeli forces have killed four Palestinians, among them a 16-year-old, during a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, according to Palestinian officials. The latest operation marks a continuation of Israel's intensified operations in the West Bank since last year. The Palestinian state news agency Wafa reported that undercover Israeli forces carried out the raid in downtown Jenin.
Three of the deceased individuals were identified as Youssef Shreem, 29, Nidal Khazim, 28, and Omar Awadin, 16, while the fourth person's identity remains unknown. The Israeli army confirmed that its security forces operated in the Jenin refugee camp.
In recent months, Israel has escalated raids in areas of the northern West Bank, such as Jenin, to counter the growing armed Palestinian resistance. Videos captured by locals in Jenin seemed to show a group of Palestinians surrounding a vehicle suspected of carrying undercover Israeli forces, followed by Israeli military vehicles towing the car away.
The incident occurred just a day after the Palestinian Authority announced its plans to participate in a security meeting with Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and the United States in Sharm El-Sheikh on March 19. However, political analyst Nour Odeh suggests that the Palestinian leadership should not attend the meeting, as the Palestinian public opinion is overwhelmingly against it.
Since the beginning of the year, Israeli forces have killed 83 Palestinians as arrest raids have increased in response to a series of attacks last spring. In 2023, Palestinian attacks against Israelis have resulted in 14 deaths.