Israeli forces shot a young woman who was 8 months pregnant then blocked medics from attempting to save her unborn child in the West Bank.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has announced the expansion of the military’s operations in the area, saying it was meant to prevent Hamas' ally Iran from establishing a foothold in the territory.

Israeli forces in Nur Shams shot a 23-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant and whose unborn child did not survive, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The Palestinian health ministry has said that Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank shot dead three people, including a woman who was eight months pregnant, while the military said it had "targeted terrorists" in a raid.

The fatal shooting of 23-year-old Sondos Shalabi, eight months pregnant with her first child, comes as Israel escalates violence against civilians in the occupied territory.