Israel kills several 'terrorists' in overnight operations in West Bank

A child walks past a building damaged following an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank Jenin refugee camp (AFP via Getty Images)
A child walks past a building damaged following an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank Jenin refugee camp (AFP via Getty Images)

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claim to have killed “a number of terrorists” following strikes in the West Bank overnight.

"In a joint IDF and ISA overnight counterterrorism activity in the Balata Camp, an IDF aircraft struck a hideout used by terrorists involved in planning imminent terror attacks against Israeli civilians and military targets," a statement read.

The camp is located in the city of Nablus, in central West Bank, around 50km north of Jerusalem. The IDF added one of those killed was Muhammad Zahed, who it called a "prominent terrorist".

The IDF also claimed that its “forces dismantled an explosives production facility in the area”.

No injuries on the Israeli side were reported.

It came as Israel announced it will allow two fuel trucks to enter the Gaza Strip each day.

A US State Department official says around 140,000 litres of fuel will be allowed in every two days.

Most of the trucks will be delivering aid, as well as water and sanitation. The rest is for mobile phone and internet services, which had been cut off due to dwindling fuel supplies.

On Friday Israeli security forces raided a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin, destroying roads and killing up to five Hamas militants.

Rising violence in the West Bank has raised the prospect of a new front in the conflict.

There is also growing concern over the Israelis' control of humanitarian aid into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing. The UN said that Gaza's civilians obeying Israeli orders to evacuate to the south of the territory faced the "immediate possibility" of starvation, given the block on most foodentering the territory.

Aid agencies reiterated an appeal to Israel to allow in fuel, the greatest barrier to them delivering aid.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces in Gaza are continuing to search the al-Shifa hospital for evidence of the command and control centre they claim Hamas had buried deep underneath the complex.