Four Palestinians killed during Israeli raid in West Bank

A spokesman for the Palestinian president accused Israel of "tampering with security and stability"

Four Palestinians have been killed and 44 wounded during a raid by Israeli forces in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials say.

One of the dead was Abd al-Rahman Hazem, whose brother shot and killed three Israelis in Tel Aviv in April.

Witnesses said there was a blast and heavy gunfire after dozens of Israeli military vehicles entered Jenin.

The Israeli military said its troops surrounded a house intending to arrest two men suspected of recent shootings.

"An explosive device detonated and the suspects opened fire toward the security forces," it added.

"The security forces fired back according to standard operating procedures and the two suspects were both killed."

Palestinian media reported that the troops fired an anti-tank missile at the house during the firefight.

The Israeli military and the Palestinian health ministry both said that Abd al-Rahman Hazem was one of the two men who was killed inside the house.

The official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, reported that the house belonged to his father Fathi, who is also being pursued by Israeli security forces in connection with the Tel Aviv attack.

Two other Palestinian men were shot dead in clashes with the Israeli troops that erupted in the camp, according to the health ministry.

Reuters news agency reported that the militant groups Islamic Jihad and Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades said four of their gunmen were killed. One of them worked for the Palestinian Authority's security services.

Many of the wounded were said to be in a critical condition in hospital.

A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said: "The Israeli occupation still underestimates the lives of our Palestinian people, and is tampering with security and stability by continuing its policy of escalation."

Israel's Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, tweeted that the Israeli troops had acted "with maximal precision" and that his country would "not hesitate or be deterred to act against anybody who tries to hurt Israeli citizens or our security forces".

Since January, more than 90 Palestinians, including militants and civilians, have been killed in the West Bank, mostly by Israeli security forces.

Their raids intensified after a wave of deadly attacks by Palestinians and Arab Israelis on the streets of Israel which killed 18 people.