Palestinian health officials say nine Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank – the deadliest in years.
An elderly woman is also reported to be among the dead in the flashpoint town of Jenin.
The Israeli military said its troops had gone to arrest Islamic Jihad militants planning “major attacks”.
The Palestinian presidency accused Israel of a “massacre” in the northern town, which has been the scene of repeated raids in recent months.
The infiltration is part of what the Israeli military describes as a counter-terrorism operation that began last April.
Heavy gunfire and explosions can be heard in video footage from the Jenin refugee camp on Thursday morning as Israeli soldiers clashed with Palestinian militants.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified three of the dead as 60-year-old Magda Obeid, 24-year-old Saeb Azreqi and 26-year-old Ezzedin Salahat. Twenty people have also been injured, out of which four are in critical condition.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its troops entered Jenin to arrest an Islamic Jihad “terrorist unit” it said had “planned and carried out numerous large-scale terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers.” “Heavily involved” in carrying them out.
It said forces surrounded a building and “neutralized” three armed suspects, while a fourth suspect surrendered.
The army said other Palestinian gunmen opened fire on the soldiers and returned fire, hitting targets. It added that it was considering “claims related to additional casualties”.
Islamic Jihad and Hamas said their militants targeted soldiers with bullets and improvised explosive devices.
State-run Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that seven youths were shot and wounded while trying to prevent Israeli forces from entering Jenin, and that soldiers “completely destroyed” the Jenin camp club.
