Six Palestinians killed in Israeli arrest raids, riot

Palestinian health officials said Wednesday morning that Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip areas resulted in the deaths of six Palestinians, at least three of whom were militants. An Israeli arrest raid into a West Bank refugee camp met armed resistance. Four people were killed and 30 were wounded, while a 19-year-old man was shot and killed in the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp near Jericho. Israeli fire killed a sixth person during a riot in the Gaza Strip, officials said.

Why has conflict increased recently? Violence between Israel and Palestine in the occupied areas is at its highest level in decades. The Jenin camp, where four Palestinians died, is a stronghold of Palestinian militants and a common site for raids launched by the Israeli military. Israel says the purpose of the raids is to prevent potential future terrorist attacks. Israel blames Hamas, which governs Gaza, for instigating increased attacks against Israelis in the West Bank area.

Dig deeper: Listen to Emma Freire, Myrna Brown, and Paul Butler’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about Israel’s judicial reform.