Israeli forces killed three Palestinians during a daytime raid against what Israel described as a "fighter cell", leaving a vehicle in the West Bank city of Nablus riddled with bullet holes. Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz praised the raid and said he had ordered an increase in "counter activities" due to recent shootings in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel's army since the 1967 Six Day War.
The Palestinian health ministry and Israel's security forces both confirmed the three deaths. Israel's border police and internal security agency, the Shin Bet, released a statement identifying the dead as "armed activists who were... killed during clashes with the security forces". The Palestinian Authority condemned the raid as a "summary execution".
Israeli police said the three were responsible for recent shooting attacks on Israeli troops and civilians, adding that no Israeli personnel were hurt in the operation. - AFP
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