Nine Palestinians killed in Israeli raid in Jenin ahead of Blinken visit

Rina Bassist

Relatives mourn during the funeral of Palestinians killed during an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on January 26, 2023. - Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians, including an elderly woman, said officials in the occupied territory, while the Israeli military said troops traded fire with Islamist militants during a "counterterrorism operation". (Photo by ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images) — Relatives mourn during the funeral of Palestinians killed during an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on January 26, 2023. — Photo by ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images

Nine Palestinians were killed during an Israeli military raid in the West Bank on Thursday, Palestinian health officials said, in what marked the deadliest escalation in years. The flareup comes on the eve of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to the Holy Land on Monday.

Palestinian officials said the raid killed seven militants and two civilians including an elderly women.

The Palestinian Authority's WAFA news agency reported that 20 Palestinians were injured — four of them seriously. The PA said the raid targeted "local youths" and further accused the Israeli military of disconnecting the camp's power supply, denying access to paramedics and shooting at an ambulance.

The Palestinian health ministry identified three of those killed as Magda Obaid (60), Saeb Izreiqi (24) and Izzidin Salahat (26).

Nine Palestinians killed in Israeli raid in Jenin ahead of Blinken visit

Only four days before the arrival to Israel of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, tensions in the West Bank between Israeli security agencies and Palestinian groups increases.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Continue reading this exclusive analysis

Original reporting and analysis unavailable elsewhere. Subscribe to AL-MONITOR to read this story and access everything we publish

Read By