Israeli forces say they have killed five more West Bank terrorists, including a well-known local commander

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military said it had killed five more terrorists, including a well-known local commander, in a massive operation in the occupied West Bank early Thursday.

Palestinians have not confirmed the death of Mohammed Jaber, also known as Abu Shujaa, an Islamic Jihad commander in the Nur Shams refugee camp on the outskirts of the city of Tulkarem.

He became a hero to many Palestinians earlier this year after he was reportedly killed in an Israeli operation, only to make a surprise appearance at the funerals of other terrorists, being hoisted aloft by cheering crowds.

The military said he and four other terrorists were killed in a gun battle with Israeli troops early Thursday morning while the five of them were hiding in a mosque. The military said Abu Shuja has been linked to multiple attacks against Israelis, including a deadly shooting in June, and is planning more attacks.

The military said another terrorist was arrested during the operation in Tulkarm and an Israeli paramilitary border policeman was slightly injured.

Israel launched a massive operation in the West Bank on Wednesday night. Hamas said 10 of its fighters were killed in different locations, and the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported an 11th casualty, but did not specify whether the casualty was a fighter or a civilian.

Violence in the West Bank has been increasing since Hamas launched an attack on the Gaza Strip on October 7, sparking the war.

Nur Shams is one of several refugee camps across the Middle East that date back to the 1948 war over Israel’s founding, when some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven out of what is now Israel. Many of the camps are terrorist strongholds.

Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war, and Palestinians want all three areas to become part of their future state.

The West Bank’s 3 million Palestinians live under Israeli military rule in towns run by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. More than 500,000 Jewish settlers with Israeli citizenship live in more than 100 settlements in the region that are considered illegal by most of the international community.