The Palestinian Ministry of Health put the number of dead at nine on Thursday afternoon. An elderly woman is also among the victims. At least 20 people were injured, it said.
The operation took place in the Jenin refugee camp. Israeli media reported that a special unit used a refrigerated dairy truck to get to the scene. They had received support from other units that had come to the camp in the normal way.
Army: Under fire when arrested
The Israeli military said the forces came under fire when attempting to arrest several members of the Palestinian militant organization Islamic Jihad. Two of the suspects were shot while attempting to escape, and another surrendered. They were suspected of planning a terrorist attack.
The Palestinian extremist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad spoke of a fight with Israeli army personnel. Its members were fighting against Israeli soldiers who had entered the Jenin refugee camp, sources said. At the entrances to the camp’s narrow streets, youths threw stones at Israeli army vehicles. Shots and occasional explosions were also heard.
According to Israeli media, daytime operations like the one in Jenin are unusual for the Israeli army. According to the newspaper “Jediot Achronot”, the time of deployment indicated increased urgency. “Without a doubt, the cell we knocked out this morning can be described as a ‘ticking bomb,'” an unnamed Israeli officer told the paper.
Palestinian minister accuses army
In another statement, Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said the Israeli army had stormed a hospital in Jenin “and deliberately fired tear gas canisters at the hospital’s children’s ward.” She described the situation in the refugee camp as “critical” and said Israeli forces were preventing ambulances from reaching the injured.
When asked by the AFP news agency, the Israeli army declined to comment on the allegation that tear gas was used. She only announced that her forces were deployed in Jenin.
Call for a general strike in the West Bank
The Israeli media reported, citing political circles in Jerusalem, that after the operation one had to be prepared for a possible escalation with militant Palestinian groups.
A general strike was called in the West Bank on Thursday. According to the Israeli daily Haaretz (online edition), the Israeli army is preparing for rocket fire from Palestinian militant groups from the Gaza Strip.
