RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories, Nov 14, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Eight Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said on Tuesday.

Seven Palestinians were killed during an Israeli military raid on the northern city of Tulkarem, the health ministry and a local hospital said.
Witnesses reported clashes in the area and a large deployment of Israeli soldiers seeking to make arrests.

The Israeli army said its forces conducted "counterterrorism activities" in the city, during which "engineering vehicles uncovered explosive devices planted on routes to attack the forces".

"In addition, soldiers questioned and apprehended wanted suspects, and during exchanges of fire with armed assailants, a number of the assailants were killed," the army said in a statement.

"Furthermore, an armed terrorist cell fired and hurled explosive devices at the forces. To eliminate the threat and enable the forces to continue their counterterrorism activity, an IDF (military) aircraft struck the terrorist cell," the army said.

In a separate incident near the southern West Bank city Hebron, a 20-year-old Palestinian was killed by "occupation bullets", the Palestinian health ministry said.

The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the Hebron incident.

On Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said 14 people were killed in an Israeli operation in the city of Jenin -- the highest West Bank death toll from a single raid since at least 2005, according to United Nations records.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and its troops regularly launch raids across the Palestinian territory.

Since war erupted on October 7 between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have arrested more than 2,000 people across the West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian Prisoners' Club advocacy group.

The Israeli military has put the arrest figure for the West Bank, excluding east Jerusalem, at more than 1,400, and has said most were suspected of links to Hamas.

At least 180 Palestinians and three Israelis have been killed across the West Bank since October 7, according to officials on both sides.

Hamas's shock October attack -- the worst in Israel's history -- killed an estimated 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.

Israel has responded with a massive bombardment and ground operations in the Gaza Strip, which the Hamas-run health ministry says have already killed 11,240 people, including 4,630 children.