Israeli forces raid and kill number of armed militants: Army
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Sulaiman
- . February 6, 2023
- . Update: February 7, 2023 3:19 pm
In an operation on Monday to apprehend alleged Hamas terrorists in a refugee camp close to the occupied West Bank city of Jericho, Israeli forces killed a number of armed combatants, according to a statement from the Israeli military.
According to a statement made by the governor of Jericho, Jihad Abu Al-Assal, eight individuals were detained and five people were slain during the operation on the Aqbat Jabr refugee camp in southern Jericho.
The Palestinian health ministry reported three injuries, one of which was critical, but it did not provide any information on any fatalities.
In a statement saluting the shooters as “martyred heroes,” Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, appeared to confirm some casualties.
The raid occurred at a time when emotions were high, raising concerns about a potential uptick in violence and prompting calls for calm on both sides from the United States and other international organisations, including the United Nations.
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Following a string of deadly incidents in Israel last year, Israeli troops have been conducting raids in the West Bank for months. Additionally, forces have been placed on high alert after a Palestinian shooter killed seven people on January 27 in close proximity to a synagogue.
The military claimed that the raid on Monday was intended to apprehend a group of Hamas militants who were besieged in a house in the camp and plotting new operations in response to a failed shooting attempt on Israelis living nearby last month.
According to the report, on January 28, two armed men entered a café in the Vered Yeriho community where about 30 people were gathered, but they retreated before attacking because one of their weapons malfunctioned.
It said that security officials had carried out a series of operations during the previous week in an effort to track down and apprehend the individuals.
Haniyeh warned that the raid might have an influence on the talks before they began with Egyptian officials in Cairo in an effort to stop a further escalation.
