Israel's military said on Wednesday it had killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including one suspected of carrying out a deadly attack on Israelis in January.
On Wednesday morning, Israeli forces tried to arrest Muhammad Zakarneh in a cave near the West Bank town of Qabatiyah, the military said in a statement.
"During the operation, the forces encircled a cave in the area of Misilyah in which Zakarneh hid. The forces conducted exchanges of fire with him and two additional terrorists, in which shoulder-fired missiles were fired at the (Israeli) forces," the military said.
Mohammed Hobari, a local resident who was working in the field near where the standoff took place, told AFP that the army "stormed the area and ordered us to stop working".
"They besieged the area before starting to fire their weapons. They brought a bulldozer and it started digging and demolishing."
During the gunfight, Israeli forces killed Zakarneh and Marouh Khuzaymia, the army statement said, adding that the two belonged to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group.
On Wednesday afternoon, army bulldozers worked to destroy the militants' hiding place, leaving behind a pile of stones and rubble, an AFP journalist reported.
Khuzaymia "was released during the November 2023 hostage deal and was then wanted for his involvement in planning additional terrorist activities", the army statement added.
Last of three attackers
Zakarneh's father, Omar, told AFP: "He died just like many other young people. Hopefully God will accept him (in heaven)."
The military said that Zakarneh was one of three people who took part in a January 6 attack near the village of Al-Funduq, in which three Israelis were killed and six injured.
The night that followed the attack saw several instances of violent altercations with settlers in that part of the West Bank, including in the village of Hajja, whose mayor told AFP it had come under attack.
The army said it killed the two other attackers in late January, identified as Mohammed Nazzal, 25, and Qutaiba Shalabi, 30.
Islamic Jihad said in a statement that Zakarneh, 23, and Khuzaymia, 19, were killed "this morning after engaging in a clash with a Zionist force that had surrounded them for several hours in the town of Misliyah".
The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority said in a statement it had been informed of both men's deaths.
The Israeli army said it had arrested other Palestinians who it reported were assisting Zakarneh and Khuzaymia on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, an AFP journalist saw Israeli armoured vehicles entering the West Bank city of Jericho near the Jordanian border.
Violence has surged throughout the West Bank since the Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 921 Palestinians, including militants, in the West Bank since the Gaza war began.
During the same period, at least 33 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the territory, according to Israeli official figures.