Palestine condemns Israeli killing of 4 Palestinians in West Bank

Palestine on Thursday condemned the Israeli killing of four Palestinians during a raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a press statement that four Palestinians were killed and more than 20 others were injured by Israeli soldiers during the raid in Jenin.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesman of the Palestinian president, said in a press statement that "the new massacre committed by the Israeli occupation forces in Jenin aims to detonate the situation and drag the region into a square of tension and violence."

Palestinian factions in Jenin called for a general strike and a day of grief for the death of the four Palestinians.

Israel's paramilitary Border Police said in a statement that two Islamic Jihad militants who were planning a "significant terrorist action" were killed amid a fire exchange in Jenin, while a third person was shot and killed after "attempting to attack the forces with a crowbar."

The tension between Israel and Palestinians has been rising since the start of this year. The Palestinian Health Ministry said that 84 Palestinians have been killed so far this year by Israeli soldiers, while official Israeli figures show that 14 Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinians.