The Palestinian health ministry said 19 others were injured. A Palestinian was shot dead in another army operation, according to the ministry in Ramallah.
Israeli forces initially did not comment on the number of dead and wounded. In a brief statement, they only confirmed a night operation in Nablus.
In recent weeks, a group of young Palestinian fighters calling themselves “Areen al-Ossud” (Lion’s Den) have launched a series of anti-Israel attacks from Nablus. The group claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on an Israeli soldier in the West Bank two weeks ago.
The group’s name refers to Ibrahim al-Nabulsi, nicknamed “The Lion of Nablus”, who was killed by the Israeli army in August. Al-Nabulsi was a commander of the al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of the ruling Fatah party in the West Bank, and had a strong following among young Palestinians.
Violence has increased significantly in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent months. The Israeli army stepped up operations in the West Bank. According to a count by the AFP news agency, 22 Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers have been killed in clashes since the beginning of October alone.
(SDA)