Israeli forces have stepped up military operations in the occupied West Bank and in Israel, following an attack that killed three people on 7 April.

Israeli police shot and killed a Palestinian man in the coastal town of Ashkelon on 12 April, allegedly for trying to stab a policeman. According to a report in Al Jazeera, however, witnesses say the man was not posing a threat.

On 10 April, Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian woman allegedly for attacking a policeman in the center of Hebron.

On the same day, a Palestinian widowed mother of six was killed by Israeli forces in Husan, near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli army said it had shot a “suspect”.

In Jenin, occupation forces arrested four Palestinians from the town and village of Al-Yamoun, leading to clashes between Palestinian youths and occupation forces, who fired live bullets, sound bombs and tear gas.

In Nablus, occupation forces arrested four civilians after storming Beit Furik town, Beit Dajan village and the eastern region. In Bethlehem, occupation forces arrested three Palestinians from Al-Khader town, after they raided and searched their houses.

On 12 April, a member of the Hamas political bureau, Zaher Jabarin, warned of a possible Israeli plan to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem.

An attack in Al-Aqsa by Israeli officers would cross a new threshold of provocations, given that current provocations at the Islamic holy site are conducted unofficially by Jewish settlers and extremists who are not part of the Israeli police forces.

Over the past couple of days, Israeli PM Naftali Bennett has stepped up raids and arrests, mainly in the West Bank and in Arab communities.

Palestinians have ramped up retaliatory attacks on Israeli forces and settlers, carrying out a series of operations that have left at least 11 Israelis dead since 22 March.