Mourners carry the flag-draped body in the occupied West Bank. Picture used for illustrative purposes only. File/AFP

Israeli airstrikes killed nine Palestinians in two locations in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, medics said, and the military described at least five of the dead as fighters suspected of planning an imminent attack.

Among territories where Palestinians seek statehood, the West Bank has seen a surge of violence in parallel to the Gaza war that erupted on Oct. 7 with a shock cross-border killing and kidnapping spree by the Palestinian group Hamas in southern Israel.

The airstrike on a car in Balata, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, killed five members of a local cell of fighters that planned a large-scale, imminent attack on Israelis, the military said in a statement.

It gave the name of the leader, who was among the dead, as Abdullah Abu Shalal. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction said five of its members were in the car, including Abu Shalal.

Hours later, an airstrike in the central West Bank city of Tulkarm killed four Palestinians, medics said. The military spokesperson confirmed that an operation was under way in Tulkarm but did not immediately provide details.

Reuters