A father and his son killed in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, where violent clashes between police and armed factions have been taking place for several weeks.

Mahmoud al-Hajj and his son, Qassem, were killed while his daughter, Asmaa, was injured in an “incident” in the camp, Palestinian security spokesman Anwar Rajab said, blaming “outlaws”.

“The place where the incident occurred is outside the perimeter of the security forces’ jurisdiction,” he clarified.

The intra-Palestinian clashes intensified after police arrested several members of the Jenin Brigade. Most of the members of this group belong to Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

Following the deaths of Mahmoud and Qassem al-Hajj, the death toll now stands at 13 since 5 December. Five were members of the security forces and the rest were civilians.

The city and the Jenin refugee camp are strongholds of armed organizations that are considered more effective in the fight against Israel than the Palestinian Authority.