Israeli raid on Jenin in the West Bank leaves three dead, army says

Israeli forces killed three people and arrested at least 14 others in an overnight attack in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, the Israeli army said on Wednesday.

The military said the attack in Jenin was aimed at “terrorism” and was part of a broader operation in the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority news agency Wafa said Israeli forces had stormed two houses in Jenin, sparking “violent clashes.” The agency said a 26-year-old man had been killed, adding that three people were injured and houses and vehicles were damaged.

Jenin, a more than 70-year-old refugee camp that is now a busy neighborhood, has long been a bastion of armed resistance against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Although Israeli military attacks have been common for years, they have become much more common since the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel on October 7.

Hundreds of Palestinians have been arrested in the raids on the West Bank, which Israeli officials describe as counter-terrorism operations against Hamas and an extension of their war against the armed group in Gaza.

Deadly violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank has also reached record levels since October 7, according to the United Nations.

This week, the International Court of Justice in The Hague began hearing six days of arguments over Israel's “occupation, settlement and annexation” of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

It is the first time that the world's highest court has been asked for an opinion on the issue, which has been the subject of years of debate and resolutions at the United Nations. The UN General Assembly asked the court more than a year ago to review the legality of Israeli policies in the Palestinian territories, before Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

Adam Sella contributed reporting from Jerusalem.