Palestinian health ministry says Israeli raid in West Bank kills one

The Palestinian health ministry said one person was killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank on Sunday, a day after a deadly series of air strikes in the occupied territory.

The Israeli military launched a major offensive in the West Bank last month dubbed the "Iron Wall" aimed at rooting out Palestinian armed groups from the Jenin area, which has long been a hotbed of militancy.

The Palestinian health ministry said Sunday that a 73-year-old man had been killed by Israeli gunfire in the city's adjacent refugee camp.

Witnesses reported a "large" deployment of Israeli forces in the morning around the towns of Tubas and Tamun, southeast of Jenin.

An AFP journalist said the army was blocking the exits of the nearby Faraa refugee camp and entering homes. Drones were also visible in the sky.

The army said early on Sunday that a "tactical group" had begun operations around Tamun and uncovered weapons.

It added it was "extending the counterterrorism operation... to five villages."

It also distributed leaflets in Arabic saying the operation was meant to "eradicate armed criminals, the lackeys of Iran."

The Israeli government accuses Iran, which backs armed groups across the Middle East including Hamas in Gaza, of attempting to send weapons and money to militants in the West Bank.

The leaflets warned residents not to approach Israeli forces.

AFP