Israeli Army Bombards Militant Compound Below Mosque in West Bank, Killing 5 Palestinians

Israeli airstrikes targeted a compound beneath a mosque in the West Bank early on Sunday morning. The Israeli army stated that the compound was being used by militants to plan attacks. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that Israeli forces killed five Palestinians in the West Bank overnight, bringing the total number of people killed there since October 7th to 90. Palestinian paramedics indicated that at least one person was killed due to the bombardment. This marks at least the second airstrike on similar targets in the West Bank in recent days, following a rise in violence since Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7th. Israel claimed that the compound located beneath the An-Nasr Mosque in the Jenin refugee camp was associated with militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who have carried out attacks in recent months. The army stated in a press release, "Recent intelligence indicated that the neutralized terrorists were planning an imminent terror attack." The army released images that it claimed showed an entrance leading to a hideout beneath the mosque, along with a schematic indicating where the militants had stored weapons. The Jenin camp, a stronghold for Palestinian militants, was the focus of a significant Israeli military operation earlier this year. Camp residents noted they received warnings from the Israeli army not to stay close to the militants due to an impending incursion into the camp, although the army did not specify a timeline. Palestinian officials reported that at least 48 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank during clashes with Israeli forces since October 7th.