TEL AVIV, Israel (NewsNation) — An extensive operation was carried out by the Israel Defense Forces overnight in the West Bank. The Israeli military arrested more than 80 Palestinians, 63 of whom were operatives of the terrorist organization Hamas, the IDF released in a statement Thursday.
"The forces destroyed the house of a terrorist from the terrorist organization Hamas in Kfar Kibiya and arrested many wanted persons in the refugee camp Nur al-Shams," IDF said.
The raid was the latest in a series of stepped-up Israeli operations in the territory since the outbreak of war. It provoked violent clashes and left three Palestinians dead, including two children.
Of the 524 Palestinians arrested since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, 330 are Hamas affiliates.
Forces also demolished the home of a militant who killed an Israeli soldier, Staff Sgt. Shilo Yosef Amir, earlier this year. The militant, whom the military identified as Ahmed Yasin Jidan, was shot shortly after killing Amir.
Clashes ensued across the territory in response to the raid, with Israeli forces firing on Palestinians who threw rocks and Molotov cocktails.
Since the latest war began, 69 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank. U.N. monitors are describing the period as the deadliest phase since they started recording data.
The arrests come after President Joe Biden announced that Egypt will deliver limited humanitarian aid directly to the Gaza Strip.
Egypt will send 20 trucks filled with aid through the Rafah crossing into the strip itself. However, Hamas has to play by the rules, and if they try to intercept the aid or try to confiscate it, the humanitarian aid will be cut off from those who need it in Gaza.
"If Hamas confiscates it or doesn't let it get through, then it's just going to end because we are not going to be sending any humanitarian aid to Hamas. That's the commitment that I made," Biden said.
It is still unclear what the situation will be for foreign nationals stuck in the Gaza Strip, but the U.N. on the ground there says the humanitarian situation has been deteriorating without fuel, water or power. They said that some people there are on the verge of dying of thirst if those goods are not delivered promptly.
Tensions remain high all around the region, despite the fact that the National Security Council came out with a report Wednesday stating Israel was not responsible for the explosion at the hospital in Gaza.
Demonstrations are taking place throughout the Middle East in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran. There are big demonstrations in Tehran, where the president of Iran said he was calling on all of the Middle East to cut off ties with Israel, expelling ambassadors.
At the northern border with Lebanon, the situation remains tense, with the IDF saying that in the span of 12 hours, there were 9 missiles launched from Lebanese territory into Israel. Almost all of these strikes are being taken credit for by the terrorist organization Hezbollah, which has consistently said these all serve as a warning to not go into Gaza with a ground invasion at this hour.
It remains unclear if Israeli forces will go through with a ground invasion.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.