Israeli troops killed 11 Palestinians, including at least four gunmen and four civilians, and wounded more than 100 people, during an operation in a town in the occupied West Bank, on Wednesday night.
The Israeli military confirmed an operation was carried out in Nablus, saying troops fought back after being attacked while trying to detain militants suspected of planning imminent attacks. There were no casualties on the Israeli side, according to the country’s army.
The Palestinian militant faction Islamic Jihad said Israeli troops surrounded two of its commanders in Nablus at a residence, triggering a clash that attracted other gunmen and youths who threw stones at the armored vehicles.
Palestinian sources told Reuters that the two Islamic Jihad commanders and another gunman were killed. Among the fatalities are at least four civilians, including a 72-year-old man and a 14-year-old child.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 66-year-old man who inhaled gas during the attack had died in hospital. Medical officials said more than 100 Palestinians were injured.
Nablus and neighboring Jenin have been the focus of incursions that Israel has stepped up in the past year, following a series of deadly attacks by Palestinians on city streets.
Sixty-two Palestinians, including gunmen and civilians, were killed in 2023, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. Ten Israelis and a Ukrainian tourist were killed in Palestinian attacks over the same period, according to Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“We condemn the occupation’s attack on Nablus and call for an end to the continued attacks against our people,” said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Hamas, another Palestinian group that sometimes fights alongside Islamic Jihad, said four gunmen were killed — one from its own ranks — and threatened possible reprisals against Israel.
Sirens sounded early Thursday morning in Israel’s southern cities as the military said six rockets were fired from Gaza into Israeli territory. Shortly afterwards, explosions were heard in Gaza, and the military confirmed that they were hitting targets in the territory, without providing further details.