Gaza, Dec 15 (IANS): Israeli forces have pulled out from the northern West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp, ending three days of a large-scale military operation, Palestinian security sources said.

During the operation, the Israeli forces raided hundreds of homes and arrested dozens of Palestinians, Xinhua news agency quoted the sources as saying.

The military operation has left 12 Palestinians dead, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The Israeli military said its troops came under gunfire and explosive attacks by Palestinian militants while conducting "building surveys" in Jenin, prompting them to respond.

Since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, 276 Palestinians, including 70 children, have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to figures provided by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Additionally, two Palestinians from the West Bank were killed while carrying out an attack in Israel on November 30.

Of the overall fatalities in the West Bank, 266 were killed by Israeli forces, eight by Israeli settlers and another two either by forces or settlers.

This toll represents more than half of all Palestinians killed in the West Bank this year.

With a total of 475 Palestinian fatalities, 2023 is the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since OCHA began recording casualties in 2005.