Militants' Attack Escalates Tensions in West Bank

On Sunday, Palestinian militants killed three Israeli police officers in the occupied West Bank amid ongoing large-scale Israeli raids. One officer, Roni Shakuri, and his daughter, who was previously killed in a Hamas attack, were identified among the victims. A group named Khalil al-Rahman Brigade claimed responsibility.

Three Israeli police officers were killed on Sunday by Palestinian militants who opened fire on a vehicle in the occupied West Bank. The incident took place amid large-scale Israeli raids in the area.

The attack occurred along a road in the southern West Bank, a region now familiar with frequent clashes between Israeli forces and militants. A police spokesperson confirmed that one of the deceased officers was Roni Shakuri, 61, from Sderot, a town near the Gaza border. Shakuri's daughter, Mor, a fellow officer, had previously been killed in a skirmish with Hamas militants.

A little-known militant group called the Khalil al-Rahman Brigade claimed responsibility for the attack, which Hamas praised as a “natural response” to the ongoing hostilities in Gaza. The West Bank has seen increased violence since Hamas' October 7 incursion from Gaza initiated the current conflict. In the past months, over 650 Palestinians, mostly militants, have died during Israeli military raids in the West Bank.