Israel's deadly West Bank raid enters fourth day

Israel continues military operation in West Bank amid fierce fighting, with casualties on both sides in ongoing conflict.

Israel pressed on with a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank for a fourth day on Saturday (August 31, 2024), as fierce fighting raged in the nearly 11-month Gaza war.

As clashes and explosions persisted in the northern city of Jenin, the Israeli military said two Palestinians were killed while preparing to carry out bombings overnight in the south of the West Bank.

Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose October 7 attack on Israel sparked the Gaza war, hailed a "heroic operation" at what it called a "sensitive time" during the Israeli operations in the north.

Hamas ally Islamic Jihad, which has a strong presence in the northern West Bank, similarly said it "congratulates" the perpetrators of what it called a "coordinated attack".

The Israeli Army described a vehicle explosion at a petrol station in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc as "an attempted car bombing by a terrorist" who was later killed.

An Army officer "was moderately injured, and a reservist officer responsible for the security in a nearby community sustained minor injuries," it said in a statement.

In the second incident, the head of security in the Israeli settlement of Karmei Zur engaged in a car chase with a "terrorist" who had infiltrated the settlement compound, leading to a collision and "the terrorist being neutralised shortly after", the statement said.