Death toll from Israeli raid on occupied West Bank city of Jenin rises to 12

The death toll from an Israeli military raid on the West Bank city of Jenin has risen to 12, the Palestinian Health Ministry said late Tuesday.

Nearly 120 others have been injured in the attacks, with 20 of them in serious condition, the ministry said in a statement.

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Israelis to carry guns after an armed civilian shot and killed a Palestinian assailant who injured seven people in a stabbing and ramming spree, the Times of Israel newspaper reported.

“This again proved the importance and effectiveness of citizens carrying guns,” Ben Gvir told reporters. “I call on the public who meet the criteria: carry guns.”

Israeli police said Tuesday that they received a report about “a car that struck a number of citizens” on Pinkhas Rosen Street in Tel Aviv, noting that seven people were wounded in the attack.

The attacker got out of his vehicle and managed to stab one of the victims before being shot dead by an armed Israeli, according to The Times of Israel.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was the “first response” to the ongoing Israeli raid on Jenin.

Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank in recent months amid repeated Israeli raids into Palestinian towns.

On Monday, Israeli forces launched their largest raid in Jenin in more than 20 years, including on its refugee camp.

Nearly 190 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of this year, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. At least 25 Israelis have also been killed in separate attacks during the same period.