STORY: Continuous exchange of fire could be heard in the area during the operation which started overnight and continued through the morning.
Violence in the West Bank had already been on the rise before the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began in October. It has risen further with frequent Israeli raids, Palestinian street attacks and rampages by Jewish settlers in Palestinian villages.
The West Bank and Gaza are among the territories which the Palestinians seek for an independent state. U.S.-brokered peace talks broke down a decade ago.
