Israeli forces kill 2 in West Bank raids

RAMALLAH, Jan 29 (AFP): The Palestinian health ministry said on Wednesday that Israeli forces killed two people in separate overnight raids in the occupied West Bank, including one in Jenin, where the Israeli military is conducting a major offensive. The Ramallah-based ministry said in a statement that a 25-year-old man it identified as Osama Abu al-Hija was killed late on Tuesday in Jenin "as a result of an Israeli air strike".

The Israeli military launched an intensive military assault in the Jenin area, now in its eighth day to root out Palestinian militant groups. The Israeli military on Monday said it had "eliminated over 15 terrorists" and arrested 40 wanted individuals during the offensive.