Jerusalem: Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian militant during a raid in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.
According to a statement released by the Palestinian Health Ministry, the casualty, Mustafa al-Kastouni, 32, was shot in the head. Another person was injured.
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said in a statement that its fighters engaged in gunfire exchanges with Israeli soldiers in Jenin in the northern West Bank and hurled firebombs at the troops.
Israel’s Border Police said in a statement that the man was killed in a gun battle that began after commando troops surrounded a building in Jenin in order to arrest suspects in attacks against Israelis. An Israeli soldier was injured.
Israel’s near-nightly raids in West Bank towns have fueled frequent violence between local Palestinians and Israeli troops since 2022. Israel says the raids are essential to arrest suspects in a wave of attacks against Israelis.
According to official figures, Israeli forces have killed at least 172 Palestinians since this January. At least 27 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks during the same time.
