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A Palestinian terrorist killed in Jenin by security forces on Wednesday planned "significant attacks against Israel in the near future," the IDF said.
Abed Hazem, the brother of a slain terrorist who killed three in a shooting attack in Tel Aviv last April, and his partner Muhammed Alownah were responsible for a series of shooting attacks against Israelis on the West Bank, according to the military.
The two wanted terror suspects who were killed in exchanges of fire with troops in the Jenin refugee camp in the early morning hours had been expecting the security forces, and placed a powerful explosive charge on the side of the building they barricaded themselves in.
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Explosive device detonates near IDF troops in Jenin
However, the forces were prepared for such a scenario and took measures to avoid harm.
As troops operated in the camp, militants exchanged fire with them and with undercover units and special forces on the scene to bolster the force.
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Palestinian gunman hit by an Israeli sniper in the midst of shootout in Jenin
According to Palestinian health officials, at least four militants, including the two named by Israel, were killed in the shootout and others were wounded.
No casualties were reported among the Israeli force which was praised by senior military commanders as well as Prime Minister Yair Lapid for carrying out a "precise operation at the highest level."
"The security forces acted with determination to stop a number of terrorists involved in planning attacks to murder Israelis, including the murderer's brother from the Tel Aviv shooting who planned to carry more attacks and spill more blood," Lapid said.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the military wing of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement, claimed the two men were their operatives and threatened to avenge their deaths.
The third slain Palestinian was identified as Ahmed Alawneh, a member of the Palestinian Authority security apparatus, and the fourth was Muhammad Abu Na’asa.
The troops also seized an M-16 automatic rifle that belonged to one of the gunmen.
Earlier, the IDF reported two separate shooting incidents on the West Bank outside Nablus and near Jenin. The military also arrested three men suspected of terror activity in separate raids.
Senior Palestinian official Hussein al-Sheikh, who is next in line to head the Palestinian Authority after Abbas, dubbed the IDF operation in Jenin a "major crime."
"The Israeli government bears responsibility for these crimes and their consequences," he said. "We call on the international community to take responsibility and protect the Palestinian people," he said.