SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Israeli troops killed three Palestinian gunmen in Jenin, West Bank on Friday.
The incident was the latest violence in Jenin, which has seen stepped-up military raids in recent weeks after men from the area carried out several lethal street attacks in Israel.
The military said troops operating in two parts of the town to confiscate weapons overnight came under fire, including from a car, and shot back, hitting several gunmen.
Much of the Jenin population is descended from refugees from the 1948 war of Israel’s foundation, and hostility toward the neighboring state and its growing West Bank settlements remains strong. The town is also plagued by poverty and weak governance.
Talks on Palestinian statehood collapsed in 2014 and show no sign of revival. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett rejects sovereignty for the Palestinians, offering economic cooperation instead. Islamic Jihad and Hamas preach Israel’s destruction.
