The Palestinian health ministry did not provide further details about the deaths of the two 15-year-olds. The Israeli army did not respond to information from the Palestinian authorities that the victims were teenagers.
The Israeli armed forces and security services have been conducting intensive operations in the West Bank for many months, emphasizing that they are fighting the resurgent terrorism there, including groups sponsored by Iran.
On Thursday, the army said that in recent weeks it had detained about 40 Hamas members gathered in a cell near Bethlehem. Interrogations revealed that the network's leaders were recruiting new members, obtaining weapons and planning attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers, the military added.
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What were the circumstances of the shooting of the Palestinians?
How many people have died in the West Bank since October 2023?
What does the Israeli army say about the killed teenagers?
What actions has the Israeli army taken in recent weeks?
Tension in the West Bank, previously torn by violence, increased after the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip in the fall of 2023. Israeli airstrikes on Palestinian militias, as well as attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian villages, as well as attacks organized by Palestinians, have intensified.
Since October 2023, over a thousand Palestinians and several dozen Israelis have been killed in the West Bank. The Palestinian victims included armed members of terrorist groups, young people throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, and random passers-by.
