An IDF officer was killed when terrorists opened fire on Israeli troops early Wednesday, the IDF Spokesperson said. Two of the perpetrators were killed in the clash.
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The area has seen a surge of violence in recent months, leading to counterterrorism operations near Jenin. The most recent spate of lethal Palestinian street attacks in Israeli cities in March led to Operation Breakwater which has continued ever since, with occasional clashes in various Palestinian cities between troops and terrorists.
Before dawn on Wednesday, the IDF said, troops intercepted two men spotted approaching an Israeli barrier near the Jalame Crossing north of Jenin, a Palestinian town that has seen near-nightly friction between the sides. The terrorists opened fire, killing an army officer, and were shot dead by the other troops, the military said.
The Jenin Brigade, a coalition of armed Palestinian factions, claimed the two dead terrorists as its members and confirmed they had killed an Israeli army officer. US-sponsored Palestinian statehood talks with Israel stalled in 2014. Since then, the Palestinian Authority (PA, created under interim peace accords to wield limited self-government in the West Bank), has seen its domestic credibility wane.
Israel has called on the PA to crack down on hotspots like Jenin. PA officials accuse Israel of having weakened their rule.
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