8 Palestinians Reportedly Wounded by Israeli Army Fire in Jenin

At least eight Palestinians were wounded on Monday, one of them seriously, during an exchange of fire with Israeli forces in the town of Kabatia near Jenin, Palestinian reports say.

All of the eight injured were transferred to nearby hospitals. Israel’s military spokesperson’s unit said in a statement that it had arrest nine Palestinians suspected of terror activity in the West Bank throughout the night.

According to Palestinian reports, Israeli forces sought to arrest two wanted men and surrounded a house where they believed the men were staying. Only one of the men was reportedly in the house, Alaa Zakharna, an Islamic Jihad military commander in the area, and he reportedly turned himself in to the soldiers.

The operation led to an exchange of fire and clashes with dozens of young people who gathered there, Palestinian sources reported.

Islamic Jihad’s military wing confirmed Zakharna’s arrest by Israeli forces. They added that the house he was in was surrounded for an hour and a half, and that he initially refused to turn himself in and opened fire until his ammunition ran out – after which he turned himself in.

Israel’s military spokesperson’s unit confirmed that one of the arrests including a man who barricaded himself in his house and fired back at forces, later turning himself in. An M-16 was also found at the scene, the statement said.

Earlier on Sunday, three Palestinians were injured in an exchange of fire with Israeli soldiers in Jenin.