Nine Palestinians killed, several hurt in Israeli West Bank raid

Israeli troops on Wednesday entered a major Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank in a rare daytime arrest operation triggering fighting that killed at least nine Palestinians and wounded scores of othersIt was one of the bloodiest battles in over nearly a year of fighting A 72yearold man was among the nine killed and 102 people were wounded Palestinian officials saidThe brazen raid coupled with the high death toll raised the prospect of further bloodshed A similar raid last month was followed by a deadly attack outside a Jerusalem synagogue and the Hamas militant group warned that its patience is running out The Israeli military gave few details about its operation in the territorys northern city of Nablus which is known as a militant stronghold The army frequently operates there in what it describes as a crackdown on militant groupsHowever the Israeli army usually carries out its operations at night when it says the risk of civilian casualties is lower There was no immediate explanation for Wednesdays raid which took place just before noonIn the Old City of Nablus people stared at the rubble that had been a large home in the centuriesold casbah From one end to the other shops were riddled with bullets Parked cars were crushed Blood stained the cement ruins Furniture from the destroyed home was scattered among mounds of debrisThe Palestinian Health Ministry said of the 102 people wounded six were in critical condition Palestinian militant groups claimed three of the dead as members But a 72yearold man was also killed There was no immediate word on whether the others belonged to armed groupsAmateur video footage appeared to show Israeli troops operating in downtown Nablus and army vehicles firing tear gas canistersAlso read Israel president Isaac Herzog urges consensus after judicial changes passLast month Israeli troops killed 10 militants in a similar raid in the northern West Bank The following day a lone Palestinian gunman opened fire near a synagogue in an east Jerusalem settlement killing seven people Days later five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli arrest raid elsewhere in the West Bank That was followed by a Palestinian car ramming that killed three Israelis including two young brothers in JerusalemIn the Gaza Strip a spokesman for the ruling Hamas militant group issued a veiled threat The resistance in Gaza is observing the enemys escalating crimes against our people in the occupied West Bank and its patience is running out said Abu Obeida a spokesman for the group The group has battled Israel to four wars since seizing control of Gaza in 2007 and Israeli officials have expressed concerns about rising tensions ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which begins in MarchAt least 55 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem this year a pace that could exceed last years death tollLast year nearly 150 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem making it the deadliest year in those areas since 2004 according to figures by the Israeli rights group BTselemIsrael says that most of those killed have been militants but others including youths protesting the incursions and other people not involved in confrontations have also been killed An AP tally has found that just under half of those killed belonged to militant groupsIsrael says the military raids are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart future attacks while the Palestinians view them as further entrenchment of Israels openended 55year occupationIsrael captured the West Bank east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war territories the Palestinians seek for their hopedfor independent stateThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever