UPDATE 2 – 5 Palestinians killed in Israeli raids in West Bank

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS

By Mustafa Deveci

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Five Palestinians were killed in Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to Israeli media.

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said the five lost their lives in an exchange of fire during an Israeli raid to arrest a number of Hamas members in the cities of Jenin and Ramallah.

According to the newspaper, three Palestinians were killed in the Bidu village, northwest Jerusalem, in an exchange of fire that erupted when Israeli forces surrounded a house in the village.

Two other Palestinians were killed in the village of Burqin, in southwestern Jenin city.

An Israeli military spokesman said the situation may escalate if Hamas fires rocket from the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Health Ministry, for its part, confirmed that four Palestinians were killed in the Israeli raids.

Jenin Governor Akram al-Rujoub said nine Palestinians were also injured by Israeli gunfire during the arrest campaign.

The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian resistance group Hamas, confirmed that three members were killed in an exchange of fire with Israeli forces in Bidu village.

The brigades identified in a statement the three as Ahmed Zahran, Zakaria Badwan and Mahmoud Ehmeidan.

It called on the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank to “escalate all forms of resistance with a view to exhausting the [Israeli] enemy.”

Saraya al-Quds Brigades, the military arm of Islamic Jihad group, also confirmed that its member Osama Soboh was killed in clashes with Israeli forces in Jenin.

Palestinian health authorities are yet to identify the fifth Palestinian killed in the violence.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara