Israeli soldier killed during army offensive in Jenin, northern West Bank

By Said Amori

JERUSALEM (AA) – One Israeli soldier was killed during a military offensive in the city of Jenin in the occupied northern West Bank, the army said Saturday.

In a brief statement, the army said that Elkana Navon, 20, was killed during the ongoing military operation in Jenin.

"The slain soldier, from Petah Tikva (central Israel), was a squad leader in Battalion 906,” the statement added.

The new fatality has brought the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since Oct. 7 to 705, including 339 in ground battles in Gaza, according to the army.

On Wednesday, the Israeli army launched a major operation in the cities of Tulkarm and Jenin, as well as in the Al-Fara refugee camp near Tubas, killing 22 Palestinians, according to Palestinian figures.

Tensions have been high across the occupied West Bank amid a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in over 40,600 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7 last year.

At least 675 Palestinians have been killed, nearly 5,400 injured, and over 10,300 arrested in the occupied territory, according to Palestinian figures.

In a landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala