Israeli troops kill 4 Hamas militants in West Financial institution raids: army By Reuters

By Ali Sawafta and Rami Ayyub

RAMALLAH, West Financial institution (Reuters) -Israeli troops killed 4 Hamas militants in gun battles throughout raids on Sunday in opposition to one of many group’s cells within the occupied West Financial institution, an Israeli army spokesperson mentioned.

An Israeli officer and a soldier had been critically wounded in one of many incidents, the spokesperson added.

The shootouts marked essentially the most severe violence between Israel and Hamas since an 11-day Gaza struggle in Might and threatened to boost tensions alongside the Israeli border with the coastal enclave and within the West Financial institution.

Israeli officers have lengthy voiced concern that Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, intends to realize power within the West Financial institution and problem its rival there, the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA), heightening safety dangers for Israel.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah occasion misplaced management of Gaza to Hamas in inside preventing in 2007, accused Israel in a press release of “subject executions in opposition to our individuals”.

Hamas known as on Palestinians within the West Financial institution “to escalate resistance in opposition to the occupier in all areas” after the raids. A Hamas spokesman mentioned the 4 males belonged to the group, which Israel and the West regard as a terrorist organisation.

An Israeli army spokesperson mentioned troops carried out 5 raids within the West Financial institution “with a view to cease a Hamas terrorist organisation cell from working” and launching assaults.

“Three Hamas terrorists had been killed in crossfire within the village of Biddu, southeast of Ramallah,” the spokesperson mentioned.

“Through the tried arrest of a wished suspect within the village of Burqin, a shootout developed. One terrorist was killed,” the spokesperson mentioned, including that then Israeli officer and soldier had been damage in that incident.

4 different Palestinians had been arrested, the spokesperson mentioned.

The Palestinian well being ministry mentioned 4 Palestinians had been killed within the central and northern West Financial institution. The Palestine Pink Crescent ambulance service mentioned 4 different Palestinians had been wounded.

En path to New York, the place he addresses the U.N. Common Meeting on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett mentioned the Hamas males had been “about to hold out terrorist assaults”.

He mentioned Israeli forces “engaged the enemy, and we again them fully”.

Israel captured the West Financial institution and Gaza in a 1967 struggle. It withdrew troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

The PA, which seeks a Palestinian state within the West Financial institution and Gaza, workouts restricted self-rule within the territory beneath interim peace offers with Israel.