


Hundreds of Israeli troops, backed by fleets of drones and armored vehicles, carried out raids today in the West Bank. At least 10 Palestinians were killed, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, in operations that Israeli officials described as an effort to target militants.
The raids were concentrated in the cities of Tulkarm and Jenin, where Israel has targeted militant groups for several years. But the groups’ strongholds have persisted, said my colleague Adam Rasgon, who is based in Jerusalem. Today’s operation, he added, appears “to be a more significant effort than usual to challenge these groups and try to undermine their hold on authority.”
The raids followed months of escalating Israeli operations in the West Bank. More than 600 Palestinians have been killed there since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault on Israel, according to the U.N., in violence involving both the Israeli military and extremist Jewish settlers.
For Israel, the operations represent a third front in conflicts that now extend from Egypt’s border with the Gaza Strip to southern Lebanon. They also came after American, Israeli and Iranian officials said that Iran is secretly smuggling weapons to the West Bank in an effort to foment unrest.
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The presidential election is 69 days away. Here’s the latest from the campaign trail.