Two Palestinian gunmen killed in Nablus firefight with IDF

Two Palestinian gunmen were killed during a firefight with the IDF in the Balata Refugee camp in Nablus on Saturday morning, during an operation in which IDF soldiers surrounded a building in which the two wanted persons were barricaded.

A house in the same area was set on fire by an explosive charge thrown by the gunmen toward the Israeli security forces.

The two Palestinians were identified as 19-year-old Adnan Wassim Yousef Al-Araj and 32-year-old Saed Jihad Shaker Masha, according to Arabic reports citing the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Additionally, three others were reported to have been injured in the firefight and evacuated to the hospital.

The operation in Nablus was conducted by the IDF's Duvdevan and Givati brigades, as well as Israel Border Police officers, the IDF and Shin Bet confirmed in a joint statement.

The security forces raided a terrorist safe house in Balata Refugee Camp after Shin Bet intelligence learned of a terror attack being planned in the camp.

During the raid, the units confiscated ammunition and military equipment. 

Operation Shield and Arrow

Although reports have stated that neither man was associated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, many members of the group were arrested in the West Bank at the start of Operation Shield and Arrow earlier this week.

In total, 25 total Islamic Jihad operatives were arrested in the West Bank in recent days due to a joint operation between the IDF, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and the Israel Border Police. Some of those arrested were recruits of Tareq Izz al-Din, the Islamic Jihad operative killed at the beginning of Operation Shield and Arrow.