At least six Palestinians have been killed and 11 wounded by Israeli forces in a raid on the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, according to the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) health ministry.
Among the wounded, two had serious injuries, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday,
The Israeli army said “security forces are currently operating in the Jenin (refugee) camp” in the northern West Bank, but gave no further details. The situation was still ongoing.
Witnesses told Skyblasttv.com that a house was besieged and hit with heavy weaponry. Footage circulating on social media showed helicopters over a column of military vehicles entering the city.
Israeli authorities said one of the Palestinian men they killed was suspected of shooting two brothers from an illegal settlement near the Palestinian village of Huwara last week, according to Israel’s Channel 12 news.
Overnight on Monday, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the village, the scene of a violent rampage last week by dozens of settlers seeking revenge for the shooting of the two Israelis as they sat in their car in traffic.
READ ALSO: Trump seeks confrontation with China on trade
Israeli army and border police forces dispersed crowds of what the military described as “a number of violent rioters” in Huwara. Videos shared on social media showed a group of black-clad youths attacking a Palestinian car before its driver managed to pull away.
Other footage appeared to show Israeli soldiers dancing together with Jewish settlers in the town on what was the Jewish festival of Purim. “Huwara has been conquered, gentlemen!” a voice is heard saying in Hebrew.
Last week, settlers torched dozens of cars and houses in Huwara after two brothers were shot by a presumed Palestinian gunman as they sat in their car at a checkpoint nearby.
The rampage, described as a “pogrom” by a senior Israeli commander, triggered worldwide outrage and condemnation, which was increased when ultra-nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has responsibility for aspects of the West Bank administration, said Huwara should be “erased”. Smotrich later offered a partial retraction.