The Israeli military on Saturday announced the first death of a soldier since the offensive began four days ago in the West Bank.
An army statement said Elkana Navon, 20, “fell during an operational activity” on Saturday and that another soldier was “seriously injured” in the incident, without providing further details.
At least 22 Palestinians, most of them militants, have been killed in simultaneous raids by the Israeli military in several towns in the northern West Bank since Wednesday.
Since Friday, troops have focused their operations on the city of Jenin and its refugee camp, long a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups fighting Israel.
Violence has escalated in the West Bank since Hamas’ unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, which triggered a war in the Gaza Strip.
At least 637 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers since the Gaza war began, the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Twenty Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed during Palestinian attacks or military operations during the same period, according to Israeli official figures.
During a visit to Jenin on Saturday, Israeli army Chief of Staff Harzai Halevi said the Israeli military has “no intention of allowing terrorism to raise its head in the West Bank” to threaten Israel.
“So the initiative is to go city-by-city, refugee camp-by-refugee camp, with excellent intelligence, with very good operational capabilities, with a very strong aerial intelligence ring… this is how we will protect Israeli citizens.”
Of the 22 Palestinians killed since Wednesday, Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have said at least 14 were members of their armed wings.
Earlier on Saturday, Hamas issued a statement saying one of its fighters had carried out an “ambush” using “a highly explosive device” in the Jenin refugee camp, “leading to the killing and wounding of members of the advancing (Israeli) force”.
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