Israel tells troops to be 'armed at all times' after West Bank tensions

The Israeli army has ordered personnel to be armed at all times and take extra precautions after one soldier was killed on Thursday following deadly Israeli attacks on Palestinian towns.

The Israeli military has reportedly informed its members in the northern West Bank - where most raids have taken place since early last year - of possibly more operations by Palestinian armed groups and retaliatory attacks, Channel 12 reported.

The instructions were issued following a bloody week in the Palestinian towns of Jenin and Nablus, which has seen at least 14 Palestinians killed. One Israeli soldier died in the operation on Jenin which lasted for at least two days, and another Israeli soldier was killed in a retaliatory attack on Thursday.

The Palestinian gunman was killed shortly after and was claimed by Hamas.

Following an assessment after the incident on Thursday, Israeli forces took measurements of the suspected Palestinian gunman's family home to prepare for its demolition, while a number of his family members were also detained.

Israeli authorities often demolish the homes of Palestinian gunmen as a form of collective punishment, forcing their families into homelessness. The practise has been slammed by rights group.

Israel has grown increasingly concerned about the attacks targeting its forces, suspecting the involvement of external parties financing such activities, Channel 12 said.

Jenin and Nablus, two towns which have witnessed the bulk of Israeli raids since early last year, have become centres for multiple Palestinian resistance groups.

One Palestinian resistance group called the Lions' Den has attracted more members since it was founded in July 2022. The group has claimed a number of attacks targeting Israeli checkpoints, soldiers and settlements since then.