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Israeli strikes in the West Bank have killed at least nine people, according to Palestinian officials.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have launched raids across the occupied West Bank and sealed off the city of Jenin.

Israeli forces surrounded the city, blocking off exit and entry points and access to hospitals, the governor of Jenin, Kamal Abu al Rub, said on Palestinian radio.

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At least nine killed in Israeli strike

Israeli forces had blocked roads leading to a hospital with dirt barriers and surrounded other medical facilities in Jenin, the Palestinian Health Ministry added.

The Israeli military confirmed it was operating in the West Bank cities of Jenin and Tulkarm.

Seven people were killed early on Wednesday in Tubas, another West Bank city, and another two in Jenin, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Qassam Jabarin, 25, and Asem Balout, 39, were identified as the two people killed in Jenin, the ministry said.

This comes as, in the Gaza Strip, 16 people including five women and three children, were also killed in strikes overnight in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Israeli armoured vehicles on the streets of Jenin. Pic: AP
Image:
Israeli armoured vehicles on the streets of Jenin. Pic: AP

Images from a morgue in Tubas show a number of dead from the latest attacks as it appeared the Israeli military was operating in a number of cities across the West Bank.

The armed wings of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah said in separate statements their gunmen were detonating bombs against Israeli military vehicles as they fought Israeli forces in the three West Bank areas.

Clashes with the Israeli military in the West Bank have risen sharply since the 7 October attacks and subsequent invasion of Gaza, while Israeli settlers have also launched frequent vigilante-style attacks on Palestinian communities.

Palestinians assess the damage of a car during a military operation by Israeli forces near Jenin. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Palestinians assess the damage of a car during a military operation by Israeli forces near Jenin. Pic: Reuters

Israel described the overnight operation as a “counter-terrorism” strike, and posting on X, minister for foreign affairs Israel Katz said: “The IDF has been operating with intensity since last night in the refugee camps of Jenin and Tulkarm to thwart Islamic-Iranian terrorist infrastructures that have been established there.”

He accused Iran of working to set up an “eastern terrorist front”.

Mr Katz added: “This is a full-fledged war, and we must win it.”

Unclear how long latest operation will last – but it’s biggest for some time

The IDF launched the military overnight on Tuesday. It is focused on the towns of Tulkarm and Jenin although other operations are ongoing elsewhere in the West Bank.

Israeli officials say they are acting against attempts by Iran to smuggle weapons and explosives into the West Bank and encourage terror attacks against Israelis.

The raids are not targeted at any specific militant group, although elements of Hamas and Islamic Jihad are one focus.

The IDF has used drones to strike targets and there are reports of helicopter gunships circling above Jenin. Roads in and out have been shut off and access to hospitals is blocked.

Violence in the West Bank, both attacks against Israelis but also IDF raids, has been on the rise since the start of 2023 and has increased further since 7 October.

Israel says more than 150 attacks have originated from the West Bank in the past eleven months.

A failed suicide bomb in Tel Aviv two weeks ago, which killed the attacker when it exploded in his rucksack and injured one other, is a dangerous development and has caused extreme concern in security circles.

It’s unclear how long this operation will last, the IDF is not putting a duration on it, nor are they saying how many soldiers are involved, but despite regular raids, sometimes daily, this is clearly one of the bigger operations for some time.

Five killed in Monday airstrike

Separately, the IDF said it had “eliminated five terrorists” operating in the area of Nur Shams, also in the West Bank, on Monday.

They released footage of an airstrike on a building they said was being used by terrorists.

Among those dead, they named Jibril Jasan Ismail, who they said was released as part of “the agreement in November 2023” – the same time Israel and Hamas conducted a large-scale hostage swap.

The strike on Monday in the area of Nur Shams that killed five people. Pic: IDF
Image:
The strike on Monday in the area of Nur Shams that killed five people. Pic: IDF

Site of a drone strike in Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
Site of a drone strike in Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm.
Pic: Reuters


“Also eliminated were the terrorists Mohanad Qarawi and Muhammad Yussef … and the terrorist Adnan Jaber,” they added.

Thousands of Palestinians have been arrested in recent military raids in the West Bank, and at least 637 have been killed since the 7 October attacks, according to Palestinian health ministry figures.

Many of them are armed fighters but others are stone-throwing youths or uninvolved civilians.

At least 30 Israelis have been killed in attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank during the same period, according to Israeli tallies.

Read more from Sky News:
Israeli hostage rescued in ‘miraculous’ operation
Why danger of all-out war still lies ahead

Ceasefire talks remain ongoing

The latest round of Israeli attacks comes as the US, Egypt, and Qatar continue to try and mediate a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.

Despite recent optimism, including US President Joe Biden saying they were “closer than we’ve ever been” to a deal, a number of obstacles remain.

One key sticking point in negotiations is the ongoing presence of Israeli forces in Gaza, particularly in the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors, Sky News’ Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall said.

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Israel wants to keep forces in the enclave for security and strategic reasons.

This includes preventing Hamas from rearming using routes such as the Philadelphi corridor – the border between Gaza and Egypt – which was used by the militant group for many years.

A total of 40,534 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military response there after the 7 October attacks, according to the Hamas-run health ministry there. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its figures.

Israel retaliated in Gaza after Hamas killed around 1,200 people and took hundreds more hostage.

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Hero who tackled and disarmed Bondi Beach gunman is Sydney fruit shop owner

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Hero who tackled and disarmed Bondi Beach gunman is Sydney fruit shop owner

A bystander hailed a hero after he tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen in the Bondi Beach shooting is a shop owner.

The man, named by a relative as 43-year-old Ahmed al Ahmed, was seen in a video running up to the attacker from behind and then grabbing the shotgun from his hands before pointing the weapon back at him.

The footage then showed the terrorist heading towards a bridge where another gunman was located, while the bystander placed the gun beside a tree.

Ahmed al Ahmed (in a white T-shirt) is seen in a video running up to a gunman from behind
Image:
Ahmed al Ahmed (in a white T-shirt) is seen in a video running up to a gunman from behind

Mr Ahmed then wrestles with the attacker
Image:
Mr Ahmed then wrestles with the attacker

Live updates on Sydney shooting

Mr Ahmed, who was wearing a white T-shirt, was shot twice in the incident and was due to have surgery, his cousin, Mustafa, has revealed.

In a video on 7News, Mr Ahmed appeared to have a bloodied arm and hand, and was helped by other people near the scene in the Australian city.

At least 11 people were killed and 29 others injured in the attack when two gunmen opened fire from a bridge on crowds at a Jewish event around 6pm local time on Sunday evening.

More than 1,000 people had been at the gathering which was celebrating the festival of Hanukkah.

Mr Ahmed manages to get the gun off the terrorist
Image:
Mr Ahmed manages to get the gun off the terrorist

The bystander then points the weapon at the attacker who moves away towards a bridge
Image:
The bystander then points the weapon at the attacker who moves away towards a bridge

A gunman was killed and another was in a critical condition following the shooting.

One of the suspects was 24-year-old Naveed Akram.

His driver’s licence says he lives in Bonnyrigg, a suburb of Sydney. The identity of the other suspected attacker is not known.

Naveed Akram, 24, was one of the suspects
Image:
Naveed Akram, 24, was one of the suspects

Mustafa said father-of-two Mr Ahmed, who owns a fruit shop in the Sydney suburb of Sutherland, did not have any experience with guns but was just walking past when he decided to step in.

He told 7News: “He’s in hospital and we don’t know exactly what’s going on inside.

“We do hope he will be fine. He’s a hero, 100%.”

Read more:
What we know about mass shooting

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One of the suspected gunmen has been named as 24-year-old Naveed Akram.

The footage of the bystander’s actions spread quickly on social media as people praised the man for his bravery, saying his actions had potentially saved many lives.

“Australian hero (random civilian) wrestles gun off attacker and disarms him. Some people are brave and then some people are… whatever this is,” one person said on X, sharing the video.

“This Australian man saved countless lives by stripping the gun off one of the terrorists at Bondi beach. HERO,” another said.

Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales state, where Sydney is located, said it was the “most unbelievable scene I’ve ever seen”.

“A man walking up to a gunman who had fired on the community and single-handedly disarming him, putting his own life at risk to save the lives of countless other people.”

“That man is a genuine hero, and I’ve got no doubt that there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery,” he added.

The country’s prime minister Anthony Albanese praised the actions of Australians who had “run towards danger in order to help others”.

“These Australians are heroes and their bravery has saved lives,” he told a news conference.

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Photographer ‘locked eyes’ with gunman, as witness describes Bondi ‘warzone’

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Photographer 'locked eyes' with gunman, as witness describes Bondi 'warzone'

Messages were sweeping across Sydney within minutes of the attack at Bondi Beach.

Parents messaged their children and teenagers, who had been enjoying a late afternoon swim at Bondi.

Witnesses said police were on the scene quickly, and the streets of Sydney’s eastern suburbs were full of police cars and ambulances on their way to Bondi.

Follow live: 11 people killed at event celebrating Hanukkah

When we arrived, there were still dozens of people processing what had happened, and everywhere – shock.

Witnesses told us that when the gunfire started some people took cover in the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club. Once the threat was over, lifeguards helped the injured and used surfboards to carry them out.

Witnesses tell Sky's Nicole Johnston of Bondi 'warzone'
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Witnesses tell Sky’s Nicole Johnston of Bondi ‘warzone’

Some people were clearly traumatised and provided graphic detail of witnessing the shooting and seeing people killed in front of them.

More on Bondi Beach Shooting

A photographer, Danny, was covering the Jewish holiday event.

Read more: What we know so far

He said he “locked eyes” with one of the gunmen, who then fired towards him. Danny said he was grazed by a bullet. He kept filming during the shooting, while taking cover.

Sam, from France, was working at Bondi. He went to the scene of the attack and saw almost a dozen people lying on the ground covered in blood. Sam described it as like a “war zone”.

Rabbi Lei Wolff, from Central Synagogue in Sydney, went to Bondi as soon as he heard about the mass shooting. A dear friend of his, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, was killed in the attack.

Rabbi Wolff has called on people around the world to stand with Australia’s Jewish community against terrorism.

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Israel says Hamas commander – who was one of the architects of the 7 October 2023 attacks – killed in strike

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Israel says Hamas commander - who was one of the architects of the 7 October 2023 attacks - killed in strike

A senior Hamas commander who was one of the architects of the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel has been killed in a strike on Gaza City, according to the country’s military.

Raed Saad was targeted in response to an attack by Hamas in which an explosive device injured two soldiers on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement.

It is the highest-profile killing of a senior Hamas figure since the Gaza ceasefire came into effect in October.

Gaza health authorities said the attack on a car in Gaza City killed five people and wounded at least 25 others, but there has been no confirmation from Hamas or medics that Saed was among the dead.

Raed Saed
Image:
Raed Saed

Hamas condemned the attack in a statement as a violation of the ceasefire agreement but stopped short of threatening retaliation.

An Israeli military official described Saed as a high-ranked Hamas member who helped establish and advance the group’s weapons production network.

“In recent months, he operated to re-establish Hamas’ capabilities and weapons manufacturing, a blatant violation of the ceasefire,” the official said.

More on Israel-hamas War

The 10 October ceasefire has enabled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to Gaza City’s ruins after a war that began after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and seized 251 hostages in an attack on southern Israel.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 70,700 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health officials in Gaza.

Israel has pulled troops back from city positions, and aid flows have increased, but violence has not completely stopped.

Palestinian health authorities say Israeli forces have killed at least 386 people in strikes in Gaza since the truce, while Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed.

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