- Israeli troops killed three Palestinian militants in connection with a fatal attack against a British-Israeli mother and daughters
- The incident marked the most recent act of violence in an unrelenting wave
- Hassan Qatnani, Moaz al-Masri, and Ibrahim Jabr were members of Hamas
Two Palestinian militants accused of murdering a British-Israeli mother and her two daughters in the occupied West Bank last month have reportedly been slain by Israeli forces.
During the raid in Nablus, a third militant who purportedly assisted the two was also killed. Several Palestinians were also injured during clashes with the military.
Israeli Troops Kill 3 Palestinian Militants
On April 7, an attack in the Jordan Valley claimed the lives of Lucy Dee, 48, and her daughters Rina, 15, and Maia, 20. They traveled to a Passover event when assailants opened fire on their vehicle near the Hamra settlement, 16 kilometers (10 miles) west of Nablus.
The car crashed, and the suspects again opened fire from close range. Rina and Maia died at the site, while Lucy died three days later in the hospital. Since moving to Israel from the United Kingdom nine years ago, their family has resided in the West Bank settlement of Efrat.
During Thursday's early morning assault in Nablus, more than 200 Israeli soldiers with shoulder-mounted anti-tank missiles and drone-fired concussion grenades entered the Old City. Per BBC, residents reported hearing explosions as adults and children departed their homes for work and school.
According to reports, soldiers fired upon Palestinians attempting to repel military vehicles by hurling stones outside the Old City. Four people were transported to the hospital, two with gunshot wounds to the legs and dozens more with tear gas inhalation.
The Palestinian health ministry reported that among the afflicted were students from a nearby school. Fawaz Bitar, a paramedic with the Palestinian Red Crescent, told the BBC that personnel wearing marked vests could not reach the damaged building for an hour and a half due to tear gas and rubber bullets fired by Israeli troops.
Hassan Qatnani, Moaz al-Masri, and Ibrahim Jabr were members of Hamas, according to a statement released by the organization following the assault. Hamas also claimed responsibility for the April attack, LA Times reported.
In a separate incident on Thursday near the West Bank town of Hawara, Israeli fire killed a 26-year-old Palestinian woman who, in a stabbing attack, mildly wounded a 20-year-old Israeli.
Israeli munitions blasted through the roof of the gunmen's safe house in the center of Nablus' Old City, leaving nothing but twisted metal, blood-stained cement blocks, and blood-stained mattresses dispersed among the debris.
Several hours after the army's withdrawal, young men combed the narrow alleys for dozens of discarded gunshot casings. Nablus, the commercial capital and second-largest city of the West Bank, has been the target of repeated Israeli incursions over the past year. However, few have occurred during the day due to the increased danger of conflict with locals. Historically, residents have been involved in the conflict.
Read Also : Biden Administration Faces Criticism Over Decision to Send 1,500 More Troops to US-Mexico Border
Palestinian Hunger-Striker Dies at Israel Prison
The violence in Nablus occurs at a particularly sensitive moment in the region, just days after a prominent Palestinian prisoner's death in Israeli custody on a protracted hunger strike over his detention. His demise triggered a barrage of missiles from militants in Gaza and airstrikes that killed one person in the coastal enclave.
The month-ago assault on the Israeli vehicle, which resulted in the loss of three members of the Dee family, stunned Israelis. Hundreds of people attended the funerals, and the family's father, Leo, has been a recurring figure in Israeli media, stating that he harbors no animosity toward his family's murderers and advocating for national unity amid a profound societal rift.
Over a year ago, Israel conducted nocturnal arrest raids in West Bank villages, towns, and cities in response to a surge of Palestinian attacks against Israelis.
According to Israel, the operations aim to dismantle militant networks and prevent future attacks. The Palestinians view the assaults as a further entrenchment of Israel's 56-year, indefinite occupation of lands they desire for a future independent state.
The operations were met with an increase in Palestinian attacks. Approximately 250 Palestinians have been slain by Israeli fire since the beginning of the assaults.
According to Israel, most of those slain were militants, but stone-throwing adolescents and bystanders have also been killed. During the same time, nearly fifty Israelis have been slain by Palestinian attacks, as per NBC New York.
