Five Palestinians have been killed and 20 injured in a raid carried out by Israeli forces in Nablus, the occupied West Bank city where a new militant group operates, the Palestinian health ministry was quoted as saying by Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Out of the 20 people injured, three are in serious condition, the ministry added. The same source said another Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire, this time in Ramallah, seat of the headquarter of the Palestinian Authority in the central West Bank.
The Israeli army confirmed in a joint statement with police and intelligence agencies that it carried out a large-scale operation overnight in Nablus.
During the operation, Wadia al-Houh, 31, leader of the Palestinian armed group Lion’s Den’ was killed, security sources said, explaining that al-Houh was the “objective of the operation”.
After recalling that ‘Lion’s Den’, a new group of young Palestinian fighters, was responsible for a series of attacks against Israeli targets, the same forces highlighted that al-Houh was also responsible for the construction of bombs.
Israeli security forces have destroyed “an apartment used as headquarters and depot for explosives” by the armed group ‘Lion’s Den’, said the army, adding that the apartment was in the casbah of Nablus. During the operation, “soldiers responded to the armed suspects who were firing at them”, shooting at some of them.
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The military spokesman recalled that the “terrorist group ‘Lion’s Den’ was responsible for the armed attack that killed the soldier Ido Baruch as well as the attempt to carry out a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv (foiled by Israeli police) and the installation of an explosive device at the gas station ‘Kedumim’. Moreover, added the spokesman, he was responsible for “multiple shootouts across Nablus.
During the last period of time – he concluded – the terrorist group continued to recruit, organize and conduct attacks against innocent Israeli civilians”.
Palestinian armed groups in Gaza have summoned an emergency meeting to follow developments in the West Bank. The leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, stated that fighters in Nablus “represent a shining example of our people”.
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