The latest violence in the occupied West Bank saw Israeli troops kill two Palestinian gunmen who had fired on them, according to the Israeli military. This incident occurred amid escalating tensions in the region following a series of Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, which resulted in the deaths of three senior Islamic Jihad militants and 10 others, most of them women and children. Palestinian militants have vowed to retaliate, and Israel has warned of the potential for further escalation. As a precaution against attacks from Palestinian militant groups, residents of southern Israel have been instructed to remain near bomb shelters, and schools in the area have remained closed for a second day.
During an army raid in the northern West Bank town of Qabatiya, Palestinian gunmen opened fire at troops, prompting them to return fire and kill the two assailants. The slain men were identified as Ahmed Assaf, 19, and Rani Qatanat, 24, but no militant group has claimed them as members. Israel has been conducting frequent raids for more than a year to apprehend suspected Palestinian militants, particularly from Islamic Jihad. Jenin and its surrounding areas have been a frequent target of these raids, as it has become a hub of Palestinian militant activity. Israel claims that these raids are intended to dismantle militant networks and prevent future attacks. Since the start of 2023, at least 107 Palestinians, around half of whom were militants, have been killed by Israeli fire in the occupied West Bank, while at least 20 people have died in Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, for a future independent state, while Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 war.