(FiveNation.com)- A military raid by the Israeli army left nine dead and over a dozen injured, according to The Washington Examiner. The raid reportedly occurred in the occupied West Bank on the Jenin refugee camp, a military fortress. Palestinian health officials said that among those killed was a 60-year-old woman.
The number of those injured adds up to 16, with three in critical condition, according to Al Jazeera. The raid marked the single most deadliest raid in the region in over two decades, The Associated Press reported.
The increased violence is a test for the current Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government and comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is preparing to visit the region.
After the raid, the Israeli military said that Gaza had fired rockets and they retaliated by carrying out airstrikes targeting a military training site and rocket manufacturing site for Hamas. Of the five rockets, three were intercepted, one fell on open land and another just inside Gaza.
The Associated Press reports that the rocket strikes from both sides appeared restricted to avoid escalating the conflict into a full war. Israel and Hamas have reportedly fought four wars and several other skirmishes since 2007.
While Hamas had threatened to get back at Israel for the raids, the Palestinian Authority stated that they will cease the relationship they have with Israeli security forces to contain Islamic militants.
Threats from the Palestinian Authority usually fall flat given significant pressure from the U.S. and Israel to maintain the cooperation between security forces. Although the authority has almost no control over the Jenin camp, the threat could signify increased operations by Israel to prevent future attacks.
To show solidarity with the victims of the refugee camp, President Mahmoud Abbas declared three days of mourning. Residents of the camp also dug a mass grave for those who were killed.
