Nablus, Palestinian Territories AFP Tuesday 4/18/2023

Israeli forces shot and wounded seven people in a raid Tuesday in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said as the Israeli army confirmed an operation was underway.

The ministry reported “six minor injuries from live fire” reached Jenin governmental hospital, while another person shot had been admitted to a nearby hospital following the raid in the northern West Bank city.

A statement from the Israeli military said “security forces are currently operating in the Jenin (refugee) camp”, without giving further details.

There was no immediate confirmation of the identity of those wounded in Jenin, a hotbed for Palestinian armed groups.

Frequent incursions by Israeli forces have led to clashes with local youth or militants, with at least 25 Palestinians killed in the city this year and no Israeli fatalities.

The latest raid comes amid a spike in violence in Israel and the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Six-Day War.

The conflict has this year claimed the lives of at least 96 Palestinians, 19 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian, according to an AFP count based on Israeli and Palestinian official sources.

These figures include, on the Palestinian side, combatants and civilians, including minors, and on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, including minors, and three members of the Arab minority.

© Agence France-Presse