Israeli forces kill nine Palestinians in West Bank raid

A raid by Israeli special forces has left nine Palestinians dead. One of the dead was a 61-year-old woman.

The Palestinian health ministry said 20 people were also wounded.

The Israeli military said it launched the raid into the West Bank refugee camp in Jenin to detain members of the Islamic Jihad armed group which it accused of having carried out and planned “multiple major terror attacks”.

They say their troops were shot at by Palestinian gunmen.

The death toll – the highest in Jenin in years – has been described as a “massacre” by Palestinians.

Hamas – the militant group which controls the Gaza strip – has threatened retaliation.