Clashes erupted between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in the West Bank village of Jenin in the early hours of Tuesday. At least one Israeli soldier and 12 Palestinians were injured in the course of the Israeli army’s raid on the village.
The Israeli army said overnight there was a joint security forces operation to arrest what the army described as a senior Hamas operative in Jenin. An army spokesperson said Israeli forces demolished the home in which the Hamas figure was suspected of evading arrest.
Gunfire was reportedly exchanged in the course of the arrest, and according the Israeli military spokesperson Palestinians threw rocks and Molotov cocktails during the Israeli army’s incursion on the village.
Al Jazeerareported Tuesday that, “dozens of people were wounded in a shootout between Israeli forces and Islamic Jihad members in the city of Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank.”
The agency reported that approximately 40 Israeli military vehicles were deployed in the course of the raid. According to Israeli media, the injured Israeli soldier was wounded by friendly fire.
Medical sources indicated to Al Jazeera that they were treating 12 Palestinians who had been injured in the course of the raid.
The fighting broke out near the home of Islamic Jihad leader and Jenin resident Bassam al-Saeedi. A Palestinian security official told the agency that one local Hamas leader Majdi Abu al-Heija, his brother and son were arrested by Israeli security forces during the raid.