10 Palestinians killed, scores hurt in Israel West Bank raid

Israeli troops connected Wednesday entered a large Palestinian metropolis successful the occupied West Bank successful a rare, daytime apprehension operation, triggering warring that killed astatine slightest 10 Palestinians and wounded scores of others.

The raid, which reduced a gathering to rubble and near a bid of shops riddled with bullets, was 1 of the bloodiest battles successful astir a twelvemonth of warring successful the West Bank and eastbound Jerusalem. A 72-year-old antheral was among the 10 killed and 102 radical were wounded, Palestinian officials said.

The brazen raid, coupled with the precocious decease toll, raised the imaginable of further bloodshed. A akin raid past period was followed by a deadly Palestinian onslaught extracurricular a Jerusalem synagogue, and the Hamas militant radical warned that "its patience is moving out."

The Israeli subject said it entered the metropolis to apprehension 3 wanted militants suspected successful erstwhile shooting attacks successful the West Bank. It said it tracked down the men successful a hideout.

The service said it surrounded the gathering and asked the men to surrender, but alternatively they opened fire. It said each 3 were killed successful a shootout.

It said that during the raid, equipped suspects "shot heavy toward the forces," which responded with unrecorded fire. It said others hurled rocks and explosives astatine the troops. There were nary Israeli casualties. It released photos of what it said were 2 automatic rifles confiscated successful the raid.

In the Old City of Nablus, radical stared astatine the rubble that had been a ample location successful the centuries-old casbah. From 1 extremity to the other, shops were riddled with bullets. Parked cars were crushed. Blood stained the cement ruins. Furniture from the destroyed location was scattered among mounds of debris.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said of the 102 radical wounded, six were successful captious condition. Palestinian militant groups claimed 3 of the dormant arsenic members. But a 72-year-old antheral was besides killed. There was nary contiguous connection connected whether the others belonged to equipped groups.

An amateur video posted online appeared to amusement information camera footage of 2 young men moving down a street. Gunshots are heard, and some falls to the ground, with one's chapeau flying disconnected his head. Both bodies remained still.

Amateur video footage appeared to amusement Israeli troops operating successful downtown Nablus, and service vehicles firing teardrop state canisters.

Last month, Israeli troops killed 10 militants successful a akin raid successful the bluish West Bank. The pursuing day, a lone Palestinian gunman opened occurrence adjacent a synagogue successful an eastbound Jerusalem settlement, sidesplitting 7 people.

Days later, 5 Palestinians were killed successful an Israeli apprehension raid elsewhere successful the West Bank. That was followed by a Palestinian car ramming that killed 3 Israelis, including 2 young brothers, successful Jerusalem.

The warring comes astatine a delicate time, little than 2 months aft Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's caller hard-line authorities took office. The authorities is dominated by ultranationalists who person pushed for tougher enactment against Palestinian militants. Israeli media person quoted apical information officials arsenic expressing interest that this could pb to adjacent much violence.

In the Gaza Strip, a spokesperson for the ruling Hamas militant radical issued a veiled threat.

"The absorption successful Gaza is observing the enemy's escalating crimes against our radical successful the occupied West Bank, and its patience is moving out," said Abu Obeida, a spokesperson for the group.

The radical has battled Israel to 4 wars since seizing power of Gaza successful 2007, and Israeli officials person expressed concerns astir rising tensions up of the Muslim beatified period of Ramadan, which begins successful March.

At slightest 55 Palestinians person been killed successful the West Bank and eastbound Jerusalem this year, a gait that could transcend past year's decease toll. Last year, astir 150 Palestinians were killed successful the West Bank and eastbound Jerusalem, making it the deadliest twelvemonth successful those areas since 2004, according to figures by the Israeli rights radical B'Tselem.

Israel says that astir of those killed person been militants but others — including youths protesting the incursions and different radical not progressive successful confrontations — person besides been killed. An AP tally has recovered that conscionable nether fractional of those killed belonged to militant groups.

Israel says the subject raids are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart aboriginal attacks portion the Palestinians presumption them arsenic further entrenchment of Israel's open-ended, 55-year occupation.

Israel captured the West Bank, eastbound Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip successful the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians question for their hoped-for autarkic state.