Israeli soldiers have shot dead three Palestinians in the West Bank. According to the military, their car was identified near the town of Arraba in the Jenin area. The soldiers opened fire to “eliminate an immediate threat,” according to a press release.
One of the dead is identified as a known militant from the refugee camp in Jenin.
Since early last year, the occupied West Bank has been the scene of a series of Palestinian attacks on Israeli targets, as well as acts of violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers and repeated Israeli military raids.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the military’s action, which he claimed had prevented attacks on Israeli citizens.
The armed Palestinian group Islamic Jihad vowed to avenge the new shootings.