An Israeli military operation targeting alleged militants in the West Bank on Tuesday morning killed three Palestinian males, including a militant leader, according to a report from the Palestinian health ministry.
Ibrahim Al-Nabulsi, a local militant commander in the northern West Bank who was allegedly the target of the Israeli operation, is one of the fatalities.
Officials from the Palestinian health ministry have identified the remaining two victims as Hussein Jamal Taha and Islam Sabbouh, according to a report from CNN.
Early on Tuesday, Israeli forces reportedly encircled a structure in the old city of Nablus before firing a shoulder-fired missile at it, setting up a firefight.
The Al-Quds Brigades, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's military wing, claimed on Telegram that its soldiers were engaged in "violent encounters with Israeli special forces as they attacked the old city" in Nablus.
In addition to the three fatalities, the violent clashes also resulted in the injuries of about 40 persons, some of whom were in severe condition.
Target Was a Suspect in Recent Gun Attacks on Israelis
Al Nabulsi is allegedly suspected of taking part in several recent gun attacks on Israelis in the West Bank earlier this year, according to Israeli authorities.
The shooting took place the day after a cease-fire put a stop to three days of combat in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian militant organization Islamic Jihad, according to ABC News.
Ibrahim al-Nabulsi had his home surrounded, Israeli police said. Al-Nabulsi and another Palestinian militant were confirmed to have died in a shooting at the scene, and troops discovered weapons and explosives in his residence.
Following a series of fatal assaults on Israelis earlier this year that left 19 people dead, Israel has been making almost nightly arrest raids in the West Bank as part of a crackdown on Palestinian militant groups, most notably Islamic Jihad.
During these arrest raids, conflicts between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers have claimed the lives of numerous victims.
In one of the nightly operations last week, Israel captured Bassam al-Saadi, a senior member of the Islamic Jihad, in the West Bank city of Jenin. The group said it was going "on alert."
Recent Israeli Strikes Deliver Devastating Blow To Targets
Israel claimed on Friday that it had carried out a series of airstrikes against Islamic Jihad facilities in the Gaza Strip in response to the terrorist group's looming threat.
The bombardment, according to Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, "landed a devastating blow to the enemy" and "successfully targeted" the "entire" high military command of Islamic Jihad in Gaza, per a report from the Inquirer.
Taysir al-Jabari and Khaled Mansour, two of Islamic Jihad's commanders, were among the 12 members of the group who were reportedly murdered.
At least 46 Palestinians were murdered during the three days of combat in Gaza, including 16 children and four women, and 311 others were injured, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
According to the armed factions, two police officers who were not involved in the combat and twelve Islamic Jihad militants were among those murdered. One member of a smaller armed organization and a person were also killed.
Israel seized the West Bank during the Middle East conflict of 1967. The Palestinians want it as the core of their future state. However, Israel has already built dozens of settlements on the West Bank, where more than 400,000 Israelis dwell, because it considers it to be the biblical and historical homeland of the Jewish people.
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