STORY: According to Palestinian sources, nine people were killed in clashes between Israeli soldiers and armed Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Paramedics and other eyewitnesses also reported at least a dozen injuries. The Palestinian extremist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad spoke of a fight with Israeli soldiers. They entered the Jenin refugee camp. “This aggression, along with the continued violations of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestinian rights in Israel, shows that this government insists on escalating the situation. Resistance will be everywhere,” said Hazem Qasem, Hamas spokesman. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the nine dead are an elderly woman and eight men. No further details about the victims were initially given. The Israeli military confirmed a deployment in the city, but initially gave no details. The Minister for National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir spoke on Thursday of a “successful operation”: “I would like to congratulate the counter-terrorist forces of the Israeli army, which carried out a successful operation last night. And we support our combat soldiers in the war against the terrorists, against the militants. Every policeman, every combat soldier, every soldier should know that they have the full support of the Israeli government, the Ministry of National Security and the police.” Jenin is among areas in the northern West Bank where Israel has stepped up crackdowns on Palestinian militants after extremists carried out stabbings and other attacks in Israeli towns. The violence has increasingly clouded the prospect of resuming stalled talks on a peace settlement and a Palestinian state.