At least one person was killed during clashes between Palestinian security forces and armed militants on Saturday in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, residents and medical sources reported.

Gunfire and explosions were heard in the city, where tensions have risen in recent days between militant factions and the Palestinian Authority (PA), led by Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas, following PA-led raids.

Residents identified the deceased as a militant, although no faction immediately claimed affiliation.

The Palestinian Authority’s security service said in a statement that its forces were conducting a security operation to restore public order in the historic suburb of Jenin’s refugee camp, a stronghold of Palestinian militants alienated from the PA leadership.

The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has been battling Israeli forces in Gaza for over a year, condemned the PA's operation in Jenin, while its ally, Islamic Jihad, called for a day of protest.

In recent years, Jenin has also been a hotspot for conflict between Palestinian militant groups and the Israeli army. Since March 2022, Jenin and surrounding areas in the northern West Bank have faced intensified Israeli raids following a wave of Palestinian street attacks.