According to Israeli forces, three Palestinian militants were killed on Sunday after they opened fire on Israeli troops near the West Bank city of Nablus.
Another gunman turned himself in to Israeli troops and was handed over to security personnel for questioning, the IDF said. Three M-16 rifles, a pistol and ammunition were seized after the shooting.
Israeli soldiers operate in the village of Sarra near the Palestinian West Bank city of Nablus, Sunday, March 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
The Palestinian gunmen were members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a militant group linked to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party, according to the Associated Press.
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The gunmen opened fire at an Israeli military post near Nablus, one of many cities in the West Bank and Israel that have seen escalating violence in recent months. Eleven Palestinians were killed on February 22 in an Israeli raid on three members of the terrorist group The Lion’s Den.
A Palestinian gunman shot dead two Israeli brothers on February 26 near Har Bracha, a West Bank settlement about a mile south of Nablus.
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A day later, a 27-year-old American-Israeli dual citizen was shot dead in the West Bank city of Jerico. Three Palestinian suspects were arrested days later in an IDF raid.
Israeli forces shot dead three Palestinian gunmen who were opening fire on troops near the West Bank city of Nablus. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin traveled to Israel this week to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid rising tensions.
“Secretary Austin offered the Prime Minister his condolences on the recent victims of terrorism and reaffirmed his commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself against such attacks,” the Pentagon said Friday.
“The minister stressed the importance of implementing the commitments made by Israeli and Palestinian senior officials in Aqaba, Jordan on February 26, urging immediate steps to de-escalate violence and work towards a just and lasting peace.”
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Austin was referring to a meeting between Jordanian, Egyptian, American, Israeli and Palestinian officials in Aqaba, Jordan. Representatives from these five groups released a joint statement after the Feb. 26 meeting, saying they “reaffirm the need to commit to de-escalation on the ground.”