At least nine Palestinians, two Israelis killed in West Bank violence

At least nine Palestinians and two Israelis have been killed in violence across the occupied West Bank.

At least seven Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Sunday.

The strike targeted a gathering of citizens, the ministry said. Four brothers were among the dead, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Israeli police said an officer was killed when her “vehicle… was hit by an explosive device” during a raid in Jenin, adding that three other officers were wounded.

In a separate incident, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian girl in a car at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank when they opened fire on another car suspected of a ramming attack, Israeli emergency services said.

Four-year-old Ruqaya Ahmed Odeh Jahaleen was killed when Israeli forces opened fire at the Beit Iksa checkpoint northwest of Jerusalem, Wafa reported.

Israeli forces said a van driver swerved into officers at a checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah, prompting them to open fire.

“As a result of shooting at the terrorists, a girl who was in another vehicle at the checkpoint was hurt,” Israeli forces said.

It was not immediately clear if there were other casualties in the incident.

Earlier, a Palestinian man was killed by Israeli army fire in Abwein village north of Ramallah, said the health ministry. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Elsewhere in the Ramallah area, an Israeli civilian was shot dead, according to the army, which said forces were searching for the assailant.

The Israel man was “killed adjacent to the British police junction” north of Ramallah, it said in a statement.

Violence in the West Bank has surged to levels unseen in nearly two decades since October 7, when Israel launched an assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters from the territory attacked southern Israel.

Israeli forces carry out regular raids in the West Bank including Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp, often triggering gun battles between Palestinian armed groups and Israeli forces.