Israeli troops killed three Palestinians in a Thursday predawn raid in and around the West Bank city of Jenin, reports said. According to the Israeli army, two Islamic Jihad activists were shot dead in the village of Burqin. Palestinians identified the men as Nidal Khlouf, 32, and Samar Shalaby, 24.
In Jenin, a senior Fatah activist identifies as Samar Asady, 30, was also killed.
Locals said that occupation soldiers took positions in several neighborhoods in Jenin, and started raiding houses amid intensive gunfire and explosions of stun grenades.
Thursday marks the sixth day of Israel's military aggression in the West Bank. Reacting to the latest killings, an al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades leader said the group would no longer respect a six-month calm. "There will be no limits to our responses... We need to protect our people," said Zakaria Zubeidi in Jenin.
Also in the West Bank, Israeli forces arrested on Thursday seven Palestinians in Bethlehem and Jenin.
Meanwhile, two Palestinian police officers were injured late Wednesday night in an exchange of fire with gunmen in the central Gaza Strip.
Two Palestinian gunmen threw a grenade at the officers, who were attempting to stop them from approaching the security fence surrounding the Gaza Strip, reports said.
In another development, more than 127,000 Palestinian voters headed to the ballot boxes on Thursday to select their candidates for the final third round of the Palestinian municipal and mayoral elections in 28 West Bank localities.
For his part, head of the PA supreme election committee, Jamal Al-Shobaki, said that 2,265 candidates, including 553 females, were competing 814 seats.
Shobaki confirmed that some 127,714 eligible voters would take part in the electoral process which would be carried out in accordance with the proportional representation system.
The lists, including 55 for Hamas and 88 for Fatah Movement, the de facto PA ruling party, would contend the local elections, according to the PA election official.
Observers affirmed that rivalry between Hamas and Fatah is expected to be weak due to the fact that the Israeli authorities rounded up a large number of Hamas leaders and activists who were viewed as either potential or actual candidates for those elections.
