Israel news: Deadliest West Bank raids start of war [Video]

TULKAREM, West Bank –

The Israeli military said it killed five more West Bank militants, including a local commander, as it pressed ahead Thursday with what appeared to be the deadliest operation in the occupied territory since the start of the war in Gaza.

Israel says the raids across the northern West Bank — which have killed a total of 16 people, nearly all militants, since late Tuesday — are aimed at preventing attacks. The Palestinians see them as a widening of the Israel-Hamas war aimed at perpetuating Israel’s decades-long military rule over the territory.

The raids drew alarm from the United Nations and neighbouring Jordan, as well as from British and French leaders, who stressed the urgency of jump-starting stalled ceasefire negotiations during meetings in Paris.

The Islamic Jihad militant group confirmed that Mohammed Jaber, known as Abu Shujaa, was killed during a raid in the city of Tulkarem. He became a hero for many Palestinians …