Five Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army during overnight military operations that led to armed clashes in the Jenin and Jerusalem areas of the occupied West Bank on Sunday.
Mohammad Hlayel, the spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Health, confirmed the deaths of three Palestinians from the village of Biddu, northwest of Jerusalem, who their families had identified as Ahmad Zahran, Mahmoud Hmaidan and Zakariya Badwan.
Israeli forces also killed two residents of the village of Burqin, southwest of Jenin city, who were identified as 22-year-old Osama Soboh, and 16-year-old child Yousif Soboh.
According to Israeli media, two Israeli soldiers were “seriously injured” during the armed confrontations, and they were hospitalized.
Hlayel told Al Jazeera that the bodies of the three Palestinians from Biddu were with the Israeli army, while Osama Soboh of Jenin died at Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin.
According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, Osama Soboh was killed after Israeli forces attacked Burqin and surrounded one of the houses, which led to a gun battle with the army.
Zahran, Hmeidan and Badwan were killed during an armed confrontation with the Israeli army after they raided the town of Beit Anan, near Biddu.
Israeli media said the army was targeting army attacks to arrest “Hamas operatives”.
According to Zahran’s family, Israeli forces have been persecuting him for weeks, including past army raids on her home, arrests and investigations by family members, local media reported.
Ahmad Zahran’s mother has accused the Palestinian Authority of aiding the Israeli army’s arrest operation, saying PA forces also raided her home recently. “The PA is the one who sent the Israelis to us,” she told local media.
In a statement, PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh mourned the five Palestinians.
“Patience and comfort for their families and for their families, and freedom for our people from this criminal occupation and its continuing violations against our people,” Ausso said.
The museum said in a social media post it “received the news with complete shock and immense sadness”.
“We remember our dear Zakariya for his lovely character, kindness, and his always smiling and funny face,” he added, adding that the museum closes its doors to the public today “in the grief of the martyr Zakariya and the martyrs of Palestine who were killed Sunrise today “.
While Israeli military operations in West Bank towns and villages are an almost daily reality, in recent months, army raids in the Jenin region have been met with live fire by Palestinian residents.
Last month, the Israeli army killed four Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp during an operation that led to armed confrontations.