Two Palestinian Gunmen Killed in West Bank Clashes With Israeli Forces
People gather at the scene where two Palestinian militants were killed during clashes with Israeli forces in a raid, in Nablus in the West Bank, July 24, 2022. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta
Two Palestinians were killed and several injured during violent clashes on Sunday morning between Israeli security forces and militants in the West Bank city of Nablus.
“The policy of this government is clear: We will not sit and wait for Israeli citizens to be attacked,” said Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid during Sunday’s Cabinet meeting. “We will go out and take the fight to the terrorists wherever they are.”
The clashes left two Palestinians — Muhammad Al-Azizi, 25, and Aboud Al-Sabah, 28, — killed and at least six injured, two of them seriously, the Palestinian Authority’s Health Ministry said. Al-Azizi and Al-Sabah were members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
In a joint operation, the Israel Defense Forces, Israeli Security Agency and Israel Border Police conducted raids in Nablus to arrest armed terror suspects, seizing a cache of illegal weapons and handguns in an apartment of one suspect.
“During the activity, an exchange of fire took place between the armed suspects and Israeli forces,” the IDF said in a statement. “Rioters hurled explosive devices and rocks and shot at IDF soldiers, endangering their lives.”
The forces responded with live fire, the Israeli army said, with “hits on a number of terrorists” identified.
“These were terrorists who recently carried out a series of shooting attacks (…) considerable weaponry was seized,” Lapid said Sunday. “During the operation, the terrorists opened fire from rooftops and alleys in the Nablus souk.”
“Our fighters responded quickly, efficiently and with precision,” he added.
Internal Security Minister Omer Barlev said that security forces “endanger themselves day and night as they position themselves as a buffer between the terrorists and Israeli citizens.”
During operations in the village of Qabatiya, around Jenin in the northern West Bank, Israeli forces arrested two further terror suspects.
“During the activity, armed suspects shot at the soldiers, who responded with live fire,” the Israeli army said. “No IDF injuries were reported.”
Separately, Israel’s naval forces overnight thwarted a maritime smuggling attempt along the Egyptian border meant to transfer weapons and explosives to the Hamas terror group.
“The vessel deviated into a closed zone in the southern Gaza Strip, violating security restrictions,” the military stated.
After calls by Israeli naval forces to stop the Palestinian fishing vessel were ignored, they opened fire. Suspects aboard the vessel swam to the Gaza Strip, the IDF reported, while the weaponry was seized.