ISRAELI FORCES KILL FOUR PALESTINIANS IN OCCUPIED WEST BANK

Mohammad Hleil, spokesman for the Palestinian health ministry, confirmed to Al Jazeera the killing of three Palestinians from the village of Biddu, northwest Jerusalem, who were identified by their families as Ahmad Zahran, Mahmoud Hmaidan and Zakariya Badwan.

Israeli forces also killed a resident from the village of Burqin, southwest of Jenin city, who was identified as 22-year-old Osama Soboh, Hleil confirmed.

Hleil said there are reports of a fifth Palestinian who was killed, but that they have not received confirmation yet.

He added that the bodies of the three Palestinians from Biddu are in Israeli army custody. The fourth, Osama Soboh, died at the Ibn Sina hospital in Jenin.

According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, Soboh was killed after Israeli forces raided Burqin and surrounded one of the homes, leading to a gun battle with the army.

Zahran, Hmeidan and Badwan were killed during an armed confrontation with the Israeli army after it raided the town of Beit Anan, near Biddu.

Israeli media said the army raids aimed to arrest “Hamas operatives”.

Mother of Ahmad Zahran accused the Palestinian Authority of aiding the Israeli army arrest operation. “The PA is the one who sent the Israelis to us,” she told local media.

According to Israeli media, two Israeli soldiers were “seriously injured” during the armed confrontations, and have been hospitalized.

In a statement, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh mourned the four Palestinians.

“Patience and solace to their families and close ones, and freedom to our people from this criminal occupation and its continuous violations against our people,” the statement said.

“We remember our dear Zakariya for his amiable character, friendliness, and his ever smiling and cheerful face,” adding that the museum is shutting its doors to the public today “in mourning of the martyr Zakariya and the martyrs of Palestine who were killed at dawn today.”

While Israeli military operations in West Bank towns and villages are a near-daily reality, over the past few months, army raids in the Jenin area have been met with live fire by Palestinian residents.

Last month, the Israeli army killed four Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp during an operation that led to armed confrontations.