Islamic Jihad group says top commander killed in Israel West Bank raids

TULKAREM, Palestine

Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad announced the death of its commander in the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem Thursday, where the Israeli military said it had “eliminated” five militants, including Muhammad Jabber, also known as Abu Shujaa.

“Abu Shujaa, commander of the Tulkarem Brigade of the Al-Quds Brigades,” the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, which has a strong presence in the refugee camps in the north of the occupied West Bank, “died along with several brothers of his brigade after a heroic battle against the soldiers of the (Israeli) occupation,” the group said in a statement.

The Palestinian health ministry reported 12 deaths since the start of the operation.

Witnesses told AFP that Israeli forces had withdrawn from Al-Farra camp in Tubas where several Palestinians were killed on Wednesday.

An AFP photographer reported that clashes were still taking place in Jenin as he saw a drone flying overhead.

Israeli soldiers were also continuing to operate in Tulkarem, another AFP journalist reported.

Since Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel triggered war in Gaza, violence has flared in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967 and separated geographically from Gaza by Israeli territory.

Since the start of Gaza war, at least 637 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli troops or settlers, according to UN figures.

At least 19 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during army operations in the West Bank, according to Israeli official figures.