JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli forces killed a member of the Palestinian security services in the occupied West Bank whom they accused of being a militant. Tearful Palestinians on Sunday meanwhile laid to rest six people killed in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip the day before, including a teenager.
In a separate development, Israel warned that a ceasefire in Lebanon could break down if Hezbollah militants do not withdraw from the border and Lebanese troops fail to police the buffer zone.
Israel's paramilitary Border Police said they carried out an operation in the West Bank village of Meithaloun to arrest Hassan Rabaiya, describing him as a wanted militant. They said he was killed in a shootout while trying to escape, and that the troops found a shotgun, weapons parts and around $26,000 in cash inside his home.
Meithaloun is near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, an epicenter of Israeli-Palestinian violence in recent years.
The Palestinian security services identified Rabaiya as a first lieutenant in its Preventive Security force, saying he was killed while “performing his national duty.”
The Palestinian Authority has been waging a rare crackdown on militants in Jenin in recent weeks, angering many Palestinians.
Last week, the Palestinian Authority ordered the Al Jazeera news network to suspend its operations in the West Bank. Israel has also banned the Qatar-based broadcaster, accusing it of being a mouthpiece for Hamas militants. Al Jazeera denies the allegations and accuses both Israel and the Palestinian Authority of trying to silence critical coverage.
The internationally recognized Palestinian Authority exercises limited autonomy in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security matters. But Israel has long accused it of inciting violence and turning a blind eye to militants, while Palestinian critics view it as a corrupt and ineffective body that aids the occupation.
The West Bank has seen a surge of violence since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of Gaza ignited the war there. Israel captured both Gaza and the West Bank, as well as east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war, and the Palestinians want all three territories for their future state.
Israel's defense minister warned Sunday that the truce that ended more than a year of fighting with Lebanon's Hezbollah is at risk.
Israel Katz said the agreement requires Hezbollah to withdraw to the north of the Litani River and Lebanese troops to eliminate any militant infrastructure in the buffer zone — “something that hasn’t happened yet.”
“If this condition is not met, there will be no agreement, and Israel will be forced to act on its own to ensure the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes,” he said.
Both sides have accused the other of violating the ceasefire agreement.
The deal struck on Nov. 27 to halt nearly 14 months of fighting linked to the war in Gaza required Hezbollah to immediately lay down its arms in southern Lebanon. It gave Israel 60 days to withdraw its forces and hand over control to the Lebanese army and U.N. peacekeepers.
So far, Israel has withdrawn from just two of the dozens of towns it holds in southern Lebanon. And it has continued striking what it says are Hezbollah targets, accusing the group of attempting to launch rockets and move weapons before they can be confiscated and destroyed.
Hezbollah, which was severely degraded after a wave of Israeli strikes last fall, has threatened to resume fighting if Israel does not fully withdraw its forces by the 60-day deadline.
In Gaza, Palestinians held funeral prayers outside a hospital after six people, including a teenager, were killed in two Israeli strikes the night before.
The mother and grandmother of the 15-year-old who was killed peeled back the white funeral shroud and kissed his cheeks as they sobbed. A few dozen people then gathered for Muslim prayers outside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central town of Deir al-Balah.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel nearly 15 months ago, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250. Some 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Israel’s offensive has killed over 45,800 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health officials. They say women and children make up over half the fatalities but do not distinguish between civilians and militants in their tally. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
The war has caused widespread destruction in Gaza and displaced around 90% of the population of 2.3 million people, with many forced to flee multiple times.
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Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip.
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