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Multiple arrests, injuries as Israeli soldiers raid Palestinian refugee camp

Israeli military forces raided a refugee camp near the city of Jericho on the West Bank Saturday, leading to a clash with several Palestinians. Photo courtesy of Israeli Defense Forces/Twitter
1 of 4 | Israeli military forces raided a refugee camp near the city of Jericho on the West Bank Saturday, leading to a clash with several Palestinians. Photo courtesy of Israeli Defense Forces/Twitter

Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Israeli military forces raided a refugee camp near the city of Jericho on the West Bank Saturday, leading to a clash with several Palestinians that resulted in multiple arrests and injuries.

Members of the Israeli Defense Forces said they were acting on a tip from the country's internal intelligence service, Shin Bet, which reportedly identified the location of two suspects involved in an attempted shooting last week.

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Fighting broke out after IDF forces surrounded a house in the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp, near the Palestinian city of 20,000. Six suspects were ultimately arrested and detained for questioning, IDF officials told the Jerusalem Post.

"During the operation, the forces surrounded several buildings where they were wanted, in the first building they even surrendered to the fighters," the IDF said in a Tweet.

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Six Palestinians were wounded during a gunfight, one seriously, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. All were hospitalized. Some Palestinian media reported the actual number of those injured stood at 13.

No Israeli soldiers were injured.

The suspects are believed to be related to an attempted shooting at an Israeli restaurant in Jericho one week ago and were thought to be living in the refugee camp.

The latest clash comes a week after Pope Francis publicly criticized the recent surge in violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank.

Ten people were killed during an Israeli military raid and seven more died in a shooting outside of synagogue in East Jerusalem in recent days amid the spike in attacks.

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