The military and internal security service said in a joint statement that they “began operating as part of a broad counterterrorism operation in the area of northern Samaria”, using the Israeli biblical term for part of the West Bank.

In response to a question from AFP, the Israeli army said the operation was new and not part of its counterterrorism operation launched in January 2025, which primarily targets Palestinian refugee camps.

Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has soared since the Hamas attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war in October 2023.

It has not ceased despite the fragile truce in effect in Gaza since Oct 10.

Israeli troops or settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians – many of them militants, but also scores of civilians – in the West Bank since the start of the war, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures.

At least 44 Israelis, including both soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations, according to official Israeli figures.