Several people killed in exchanges of fire in the West Bank

Two Palestinians were killed in Jenin, in the northern West Bank, in an exchange of fire with Israeli forces, according to Palestinian reports on Thursday.

The Israeli army meanwhile said that one soldier was killed and another seriously injured during an operation in the city.

The Times of Israel newspaper reported that the soldier was killed in an exchange of fire with Palestinian gunmen. It was initially unclear whether the reports referred to the same incident.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah said that the Israeli authorities had been informed of the deaths of the two Palestinians in Jenin. Nothing was initially released about their identities.

Palestinian reports said that a 42-year-old man was also killed by Israeli gunfire in Nablus, also in the north of the Palestinian territory. The man's wife was injured in the incident.

According to the Israeli police, the Palestinian was wanted for his alleged involvement in attacks. He was reportedly armed and tried to flee when the police tried to arrest him, so officers shot at the man and killed him, police said.

The Israeli army started a new, large military operation in Jenin more than a week ago. Foreign Minister Israel Katz recently announced that the Israeli army would remain in the city even after it ended "to ensure that terror does not return."

The already tense situation in the West Bank has intensified significantly since Palestinian militant group Hamas spearheaded the October 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel, triggering the conflict in Gaza.

According to the Ministry of Health in Ramallah, 853 Palestinians have been killed there since then in Israeli military operations, armed confrontations and extremist attacks. At the same time, there is increased violence by radical Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians.