Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians, including a member of Hamas's armed wing, during raids on the occupied West Bank on Friday. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that at least one person was killed in an Israeli settler rampage near Ramallah.
The Israeli military said Mohammad Omar Daraghmeh, who it described as the head of Hamas infrastructure in the Tubas area of the Jordan Valley, was killed in a firefight with security forces. It was said that a number of weapons and military equipment, including automatic rifles, were found in his vehicle.
Hamas confirmed Daraghmeh's death and his membership in the armed Al Qassam Brigades.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said another man was killed by Israeli forces who raided the Al-Far'a refugee camp in Tubas. Hamas mourned the man's death but did not claim him as a member.
The army said troops carrying out the operation opened fire on Palestinians who threw explosives and killed a man they said tried to attack them.
Israel has stepped up military attacks in the West Bank since launching a brutal assault on Gaza following an October 7 Hamas-led attack on its southern communities and military bases.
Later on Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said one person was shot dead in al-Mughayyer, near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, as residents reported dozens of Jewish settlers rampaging through their village. It was not immediately clear whether he was shot by Israeli forces or settlers.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said at least 10 people were injured, most by live fire, and some ambulances trying to reach the area were shot at.
In unverified videos circulating on social media, gunshots were heard and heavy smoke was seen billowing from a car that was on fire as residents called for help.
The Israeli army and police said troops had set up roadblocks and launched a search for a 14-year-old Jewish Jerusalem resident who had gone missing in the area.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh condemned Friday's settler attack and demanded urgent international intervention, especially from the United States.
Since the start of the Gaza war, Palestinian Health Ministry data show that at least 460 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, including armed fighters from militant groups.
According to Israeli figures, at least thirteen Israelis, including two members of the Israeli forces, were killed by Palestinians in the West Bank during the same period.
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