Israel kills 3 Palestinian militants in raid in West Bank

Israeli forces killed three Palestinian militants near Jenin in the occupied West Bank, saying they were planning an attack. An airstrike later destroyed the cave they emerged from. Israel’s intensified operations face criticism for displacing civilians and causing civilian casualties

Jerusalem: Israeli authorities said they had killed three Palestinian militants early on Tuesday during an operation in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.

Israeli police said the three men were shot as they came out of a cave near Jenin, a town in the northern West Bank known as a militant stronghold. A statement claimed the militants were planning an attack, but gave no further details.

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The statement said the Israeli military carried out an airstrike shortly afterward to destroy the cave. The army confirmed an airstrike in the area but gave no further details.

Israel has stepped up its military activity in the occupied West Bank since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the war in Gaza.

Israel says the operations have cracked down on militants in the West Bank. But Palestinians and human rights groups say scores of uninvolved civilians have also been among the dead, while tens of thousands of people have been displaced from their homes.