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On Wednesday, Israeli troops conducted a rare daytime arrest operation in Nablus, a major Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank. The raid resulted in a violent clash, which left at least nine Palestinians dead and over 100 wounded, according to Palestinian officials.
The operation took place in the Old City of Nablus, a militant stronghold, and was characterized by the use of heavy weaponry, causing widespread damage to buildings and vehicles.
The Israeli army often carries out such operations at night to minimize the risk of civilian casualties, and it is unclear why this raid was conducted during the day.
Last month, a similar raid in the northern West Bank led to the deaths of ten militants. The next day, a lone Palestinian gunman opened fire near a synagogue in an east Jerusalem settlement, killing seven people.
Subsequently, five Palestinians were killed in another Israeli arrest raid, and three Israelis were killed in a Palestinian car ramming in Jerusalem. These events have contributed to rising tensions in the region.
Palestinian militant groups have claimed that some of the dead were members, while Israel maintains that most of those killed were militants. However, an AP tally suggests that less than half of those killed belonged to militant groups.
Israel justifies its military raids as necessary for dismantling militant networks and preventing future attacks, while Palestinians view them as a further entrenchment of Israel’s 55-year occupation of the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
»9 Palestinians killed, 102 injured during Israeli army raid in West Bank«