An Israeli soldier was killed after a member of the Hamas group on Thursday near a settlement in the occupied West Bank, a day after Israeli troops wrapped up their largest military offensive in the area. The attacker was later shot and killed by Israeli forces, according to the military.
Claiming responsibility for the attack, the Hamas group said it was a "natural response" to Israeli army's military operation in the Jenin refugee camp, which claimed the lives of 12 Palestinians. The attacker was identified as the 19-year-old Ahmed-Yassin Ghaidan, AP reported.
“The enemy will know that its massacre in Jenin only increased our people’s insistence on resistance and adherence to its approach until liberation,” the group said.
The attacker had targeted Israel Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's settlement. According to the Israeli military, he had opened fire on the forces when they stopped his vehicle for inspection. He was later chased and shot dead.
The deceased Israeli soldier was identified as Staff Sergeant Shilo Yosef Amir.
This comes a day after Israeli forces withdrew from the Jenin camp in the West Bank. Israel said that the operation was carried out to destroy and confiscate weapons from the camp, housing many Palestinians. At least 12 Palestinians were killed and several more were injured, as per the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Israeli forces had used military bulldozers to tear through the Jenin camp, causing thousands of residents to flee the camps and damaging roads and buildings. The Israeli military said that it had confiscated thousands of weapons, money caches and bomb-making materials.
The shooting incident raised questions on the effectiveness of the Israeli operation and could also prompt calls for more military incursions from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The violence in the occupied West Bank has worsened over the last year. In 2023, over 140 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, while retaliatory attacks have claimed the lives of 25 Israeli people.
