At least four Palestinians have been killed in Israeli raids on the occupied West Bank. According to Israel, it was an action against a terrorist cell of Hamas that wanted to carry out attacks in the near future.
The Palestinian health ministry says three Palestinians were killed in Biddu, just north of Jerusalem. The fourth was killed in a village near Jenin, on the north side of the West Bank. There have also been raids in other places.
There are no reports of deaths or injuries on the Israeli side. An army spokesman says people have been detained, but did not give a number.
‘Martyrs’
Hamas has called the killed Palestinians “martyrs” but did not say whether they were members of the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip. Hamas is seen as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US and other Western countries.
The Palestinian Authority (PA), which controls parts of the West Bank, has condemned the Israeli raids. The Israeli government is “wholly and directly responsible for this bloody morning and the crimes committed by the occupying forces”. The PA is working with Israel to contain Hamas and other militant groups in the West Bank.
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