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一 |     JERUSALEM -- Deadly violence has been surging in the West Bank as the Israeli military pursues Palestinian militants in the aftermath of the Hamas attack from Gaza, with at least 90 Palestinians killed in the Israeli-occupied territory in the past two weeks, mainly in clashes with Israeli troops.The violence threatens to open another front in the 2-week-old war, and puts pressure on the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank and is deeply unpopular among Palestinians, in large part because it cooperates with Israel on security matters. The tally includes five Palestinians killed in separate incidents on Sunday, including two who died in an airstrike on a mosque in the volatile Jenin refugee camp that Israel said was being used by militants. Israel carried out an airstrike during a battle in another West Bank refugee camp last week, in which 13 Palestinians, including five minors, and a member of Israel's paramilitary Border Police were killed. Israel rarely uses air power in the occupied West Bank, even as it has bombarded Hamas-ruled Gaza since the militant group stormed across the border on Oct. 7. More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel since the war began, mostly civilians killed in the initial Hamas assault. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says over 4,300 Palestinians have been killed. The Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank says 90 Palestinians have been killed there since Oct. 7, a dramatic jump from 197, according to an Associated Press count, from the start of the year until the Hamas attack. In addition to the raids, Palestinians have been killed in violent anti-Israel protests and in some instances in attacks by Jewish settlers.Israel clamped down on the territory immediately after the Hamas assault, closing crossings and checkpoints between Palestinian towns. Israel says its forces have detained over 700 suspects in the West Bank, including 480 members of Hamas, since the start of hostilities.Israel’s resumption of aerial attacks — which in a July operation in Jenin reached a level of intensity not seen since the Palestinian uprising against Israel two decades ago — suggests a shift in military tactics.The military described the Al-Ansar Mosque in Jenin as a militant compound belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, a smaller and more radical Palestinian militant group. It said the militants had carried out several attacks in recent months and were planning another imminent assault.The intensified violence follows more than a year of escalating raids and arrests in the West Bank and deadly Palestinian attacks on Israelis.Israel captured the West Bank, along with Gaza and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 war. The Palestinians want all three territories for a future state. Over 500,000 Israelis live in settlements across the West Bank that most of the international community considers illegal, while the territory's more than 2.5 million Palestinians live under Israeli military rule.The Palestinians view the settlements as the greatest obstacle to resolving the conflict with Israel. The last serious and substantive peace talks broke down over a decade ago. Settler violence against Palestinians has also intensified since the Hamas attack. At least five Palestinians have been killed by settlers, according to Palestinian authorities, and rights groups say settlers have torched cars and attacked several small Bedouin communities, forcing them to evacuate to other areas.The West Bank Protection Consortium, a coalition of non-governmental organizations and donor countries, including the European Union, says at least 470 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the West Bank due to settler violence since Oct. 7. That's in addition to over 1,100 displaced since 2022. ___Associated Press writer Joseph Krauss contributed to this report.。    Choice Hotels International is asking shareholders of rival chain Wyndham Hotels & Resorts to sign off on a buyout worth nearly $8 billion after Wyndham broke off negotiations, the company said Tuesday. “A few weeks ago, Choice and Wyndham were in a negotiable range on price and consideration, and both parties have a shared recognition of the value opportunity this potential transaction represents, said Choice CEO Patrick Pacious. ”We were therefore surprised and disappointed that Wyndham decided to disengage. While we would have preferred to continue discussions with Wyndham in private, following their unwillingness to proceed, we feel there is too much value for both companies’ franchisees, shareholders, associates, and guests to not continue pursuing this transaction."Wyndham did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Tuesday. Choice, based in Rockville, Maryland, is offering $49.50 in cash and 0.324 shares of Choice common stock for each Wyndham share they own, a 20% premium to Wyndham's last closing price. Choice's proposal allows Wyndham shareholders to choose either cash, stock, or a combination of cash and stock. The proposal also includes giving Wyndham two seats on the combined company’s board. The deal has a total value of about $7.8 billion. When including debt, it's valued at approximately $9.8 billion. Choice first approached Wyndham in April, offering $80.00 per share, with 40% of that cash and 60% Choice stock, but was rejected, Choice said. It bumped the offer to $85 per share, then to $90 per share as the board chairs and CEOs of each company met. But, according to Choice, Wyndham voiced concerns about regulatory approval in September and also the value of Choice stock. Choice operates about 7,500 hotels in 46 countries. It's seeking to absorb a much larger chain in Wyndham, which operates nearly 9,300 hotels under a host of brands including Days Inn, Howard Johnson, La Quinta, Ramada, Super 8 and Travelodge. Wyndham, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, posted a profit of $355 million last year with revenue of $1.5 billion. Like most hotels, it has benefited from booming travel in recent years. The uptick in travel has lead to snarled airports and pilot shortages. That has cooled a bit this year as people become more cost conscious about their trips due to inflation and after spending more freely for more than a year. Wyndham's shares are up more than 170% since it stock price tumbled close to $25 each at the start of the pandemic. Shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc. jumped more than 15% before the opening bell Tuesday, to $82.40. Shares of Choice Hotels International Inc. fell more than 2%.。