Israeli airstrikes, shooting in West Bank kill 6 Palestinians
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Ramallah: Israeli forces killed six Palestinians in the West Bank city of Tubas, according to Palestinian medical and security sources.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported on Thursday that five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting their vehicle in Tubas, which is located in northwestern West Bank.
A sixth man was shot dead by Israeli forces in the Far'a camp south of Tubas, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said, adding that the army delayed access to the victim for several hours, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it conducted a drone strike in the Far'a camp and three more strikes in Tubas on early Thursday. The IDF added that these strikes targeted Palestinian gunmen who were shooting and hurling explosive devices at troops during a raid.
Tubas Governor Ahmed al-Asaad told Xinhua that Israeli raids have caused widespread destruction to infrastructure and services in the Far'a camp.
In Jenin, Israeli forces continued operations for the ninth consecutive day. Mayor Nidal Obeidi said the ongoing attacks have severely damaged local infrastructure, with the full extent yet to be assessed.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that since August 28, Israeli military operations across the West Bank have resulted in 39 Palestinian deaths and 145 injuries.
The Ministry added that 691 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict in October 2023.
Early on Thursday, the Israeli army withdrew from Tulkarem and its refugee camp amid massive destruction to the city's infrastructure, according to local sources.
Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank as Israel pressed ahead with its brutal onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 40,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since October 7 last year.
The escalation followed a landmark opinion by the International Court of Justice on July 19 that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
(IANS input)