Hamas has confirmed that four of its fighters were killed during an Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had been conducting a counterterrorism operation in the Nour Shams area, near Tulkarm, where the fighters were targeted.
According to the IDF, an aircraft was used to strike two terrorists who were deemed an immediate threat to the security forces involved in the operation. Additionally, in a separate incident near Bethlehem, IDF soldiers fired shots at a Palestinian individual at the El'azar Junction, resulting in the man's death.
The IDF has announced that the Military Police will be conducting an investigation into the killing of the Palestinian man to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. Meanwhile, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported another fatality, stating that a 63-year-old man was shot dead near the town of Al-Khader, south of Bethlehem.
WAFA further mentioned that ambulance crews were prevented from approaching or transporting the body of the deceased individual, as reported by the Palestine Red Crescent. The series of events in the West Bank has escalated tensions in the region, prompting concerns over the ongoing conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian groups.