Hamas member and teenager killed in separate West Bank raids

Two people were killed Monday during Israeli army raids in the West Bank, according to Palestinian reports.

The Palestinian militant organization Hamas said a member of its military wing had been killed in Tulkarem.

According to the Health Ministry in Ramallah, a 15-year-old boy was shot dead in another incident in Fara, south of Tubas. Five other people were reportedly shot and injured.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spoke of “counterterrorism activity in the area” of Fara.

“So far, forces have apprehended three wanted suspects and dismantled explosive devices,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

“In addition, exchanges of fire are currently taking place with armed terrorists, during which one terrorist was eliminated and other terrorists were hit. Counter-terrorism activity continues.”

“In addition, in the towns of Faqqua, Rumana and Dhinnaba, security forces apprehended four suspects and eliminated an armed terrorist,” the IDF statement said.

The situation in the occupied West Bank has deteriorated considerably since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 7.

Since then, 512 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, clashes or their own attacks, according to the local Health Ministry.

The Israeli military announced Monday that around 4,150 wanted Palestinians had been arrested in the West Bank since the start of the war. Around 1,750 of them belonged to Hamas, the statement said.

In New York, the United Nations Security Council plans to vote on Monday on a resolution tabled by the United States that supports a plan presented by U.S. President Joe Biden for a cease-fire in the conflict in Gaza.

A corresponding meeting was added to the agenda of the body in New York on Monday and is expected to take place following a previous meeting.

The resolution supports Biden's plan to end the fighting in Gaza in three phases.

According to the United States, only Hamas has not yet accepted this plan. However, the Israeli government has also not clearly and publicly endorsed this plan.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is currently touring Middle Eastern capitals to try to gain support for the plan presented by the US president.

It takes at least nine votes to pass a resolution in the Security Council, the most powerful body of the United Nations, which is binding under international law.

Additionally, there must be no veto from the body's five permanent members: the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.

Initially, it was unclear whether the draft resolution would succeed.