Airstrikes and missiles in the West Bank after an Israeli attack on the Jenin refugee camp

Militants in Gaza fired rockets and Israel launched airstrikes on Friday as tensions rose after an Israeli attack on the occupied West Bank that killed nine Palestinians, including at least seven militants and a 61-year-old woman.

It was the deadliest single raid in the area in more than two decades. The flare-up of violence is an early test for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government.

Of the five rockets fired at Israel, three were intercepted, one fell in an open area and another fell short in Gaza, the Israeli military said. It said its airstrikes targeted an underground rocket factory for Hamas and militant training grounds.

Both Palestinian missiles and Israeli airstrikes seemed limited to prevent escalation into full-blown war.

What happened in the Jenin refugee camp?

Thursday’s deadly raid on the Jenin refugee camp was likely to reverberate Friday as Palestinians gather for weekly Muslim prayers often followed by protests. Hamas had previously threatened revenge for the raid.

The Palestinian Authority raised the stakes, saying it would cut ties its security forces have with Israel in a concerted effort to contain Islamist militants. Previous threats have been short-lived, in part because of the benefits the authority derives from the relationship and also because of pressure from the US and Israel to maintain it.

On Thursday, Israeli troops went on high alert as Palestinians filled the streets across the West Bank, chanting in solidarity with Jenin. President Mahmoud Abbas declared three days of mourning and residents in the refugee camp dug a mass grave for the dead.

Palestinians plan to take the matter to the ICC

Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said Abbas had decided to reduce security coordination in the face of repeated aggression against our people. He also said the Palestinians planned to file complaints with the UN Security Council, the International Criminal Court and other international bodies.

Barbara Leaf, the top US diplomat for the Middle East, said the Biden administration was deeply concerned about the situation and that the civilian casualties reported in Jenin were “deeply regrettable”.

However, she also said the Palestinian announcement to suspend security ties and raise the matter with international organizations was a mistake.

For more information, watch Euronews’ report in the video above.