Jenin, West Bank - An Israeli military raid on Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Friday left five people dead, the Palestinian Authority health ministry said.

At least 12 Palestinians have now been killed in Israeli operations this week in the West Bank, where tensions have intensified since the start of the Gaza siege.

Troops surrounded a building "where terrorists have barricaded themselves" and a gun battle started, an Israeli military statement said of the latest clash in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.

The Wafa official Palestinian news agency said military vehicles surrounded a house in a Jenin refugee camp and loud speaker demands were made for an occupant to surrender. Shoulder-fired missiles were then used and a drone attacked the house.

Viral Video of the Day Viral Video of the Day for July 7, 2024: Pup gets insanely excited when family claps for him!

"During the exchanges of fire, an IDF (Israeli military) aircraft struck several armed terrorists in the area," the Israeli statement claimed.

The West Bank has suffered from mounting Israeli violence since the start of the Gaza assault on October 7.

Seven Palestinians were killed in military operations in the occupied territory this week, before the latest deadly operation.

A woman and child died in an Israeli raid in a refugee camp near Tulkarem on Monday, four men in a drone attack on the same Nur Shams camp on Tuesday, and one man in Jenin on Wednesday, according to the health ministry.

Fourteen people died in one two-day Israeli operation in Nur Shams in April, according to a Palestinian Red Crescent toll.

Joke of the Day Joke of the Night for July 5, 2024: The best jokes to laugh the day away

According to Palestinian figures, at least 565 Palestinians have died in the West Bank in military raids and in Israeli settler violence since October 7.

At least 16 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in the territory over the same period, according to an AFP tally from official Israeli figures.

Amid the rise in attacks, Israel this week has also moved to expand settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.