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Clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian protesters in Nablus, West Bank
Photo: Majdi Mohammed/AP
Israel has killed a senior member of the al-Aqsa Brigades during a house search in Nablus, West Bank.
Ibrahim al-Nablusi was responsible for a series of attacks on Israeli soldiers in the area, according to the Israeli domestic intelligence service Shin Bet and the military.
Explosives and other weapons were also found during the attempted arrest.
Another al-Aqsa member was also killed.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed the death of al-Nablusi and two other people.
Around 40 people were injured by gunfire during the operation.
Shots in the old city of Nablus
Israeli army and Palestinians fired at each other in the old city of Nablus, a correspondent for the AFP news agency reported.
Amid the clashes, the Israeli army brought traffic to a standstill in Nablus, one of the largest cities in the West Bank.
The al-Aqsa Brigades are the military arm of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement.
However, it is a loose network without a clear hierarchy, local groups often act on their own.
Is the ceasefire coming to an end?
After three days of fighting, a ceasefire came into effect on Sunday between Israel and the Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military launched the "Dawn" military action on Friday with airstrikes against jihad in the Gaza Strip.
Two jihadist military chiefs were killed during the operation.
Altogether, according to Palestinian figures, 46 people were killed, including 16 children, and 360 others were injured.
In response, militant Palestinians fired more than 1,000 rockets at Israeli towns, according to the military.
200 of them hit the Gaza Strip.
It is now feared that the killing of al-Nablusi could lead to further confrontations, despite the agreed ceasefire.
The anti-jihad operation in Gaza is a continuation of a campaign in the West Bank that has been going on for months.
Since a wave of terror hit Israel in the spring, the army has been conducting anti-terrorist operations there almost every day.
At least 57 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since late March.
col/dpa/AFP
