Reports: Israeli army kills six militants in West Bank

Several armed militants and a civilian have been killed in an Israeli military operation in Jenin in the West Bank, Israeli and Palestinian media reported on Friday.

The Ministry of Health in Ramallah said seven Palestinians died in total - six militants and a civilian. Israel's army confirmed the operation in the city, during which soldiers exchanged fire with militants surrounded in a building.

An aircraft attacked and "eliminated" a group of gunmen, the army said. Israeli forces also killed two more men in the house who they said had taken part in an earlier attack that left one Israeli soldier dead.

According to Palestinian reports, it was a drone that fired a missile at the house, killing four fighters. The Ministry of Health said the casualties were between 20 and 30 years old.

According to Hamas the 30-year-old killed was one of its members, while the remaining people killed were members of other armed groups, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

Jenin is considered a stronghold of Palestinian militants and is the location of frequent raids by Israeli forces.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported other clashes in Jenin on Friday. According to the ministry, a 54-year-old man was shot dead during another raid by Israeli forces in the city. The Israeli military did not initially comment on the incident.

The situation in the West Bank has worsened dramatically since the start of the Gaza war, which broke out in response to the Hamas massacre in southern Israel on October 7.

Since then, 543 Palestinians have died in Israeli military operations, confrontations or as a result of their own attacks in the West Bank, according to health officials.

Settler violence against Palestinians also increased again during this period.