JENIN: Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians on Thursday during a raid that sparked gun battles in a West Bank stronghold of hardline factions, said Palestinian officials and Israel’s army.

Muhammad Ayman al-Saadi, 26, and Naim Jamal Zubaidi, 27, were “killed by the Israeli occupation bullets at dawn today during its aggression on Jenin camp,” a Palestinian health ministry statement said.

Israel’s army and Prime Minister Yair Lapid identified both Saadi and Zubaidi as “top militants” and confirmed their deaths in the operation, Israel’s latest in the West Bank. Deadly violence has surged in the territory since March, when Israel launched near daily raids following a series of deadly attacks targeting Israelis.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2022