9 Palestinians killed during Israeli raid in Jenin refugee camp

Ramallah: Nine Palestinians including an elderly woman died and 20 injured when Israeli forces raided a refugee camps in Jenin on Thursday.

The death toll for the day rose to 10 when 22-year-old Youssef Muheisen was shot dead by Israeli forces in Al-Ram, in Jerusalem governorate, Arab News reported.

Israeli operations in the West Bank killed 30 Palestinians so far this year, making yesterday’s the deadliest in more than a year.

Security forces reportedly entered the camp to arrest three Palestinians linked to Islamic Jihad organization planning to attack an Israeli target according to the report.

Israeli forces initially stopped medics from attending to the injured including four in critical condition, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

When Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters at Jenin Government Hospital children suffered inhalation issues.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh urged the UN and international human rights organizations to intervene to stop the bloodshed.

Tor Wennesland, the UN’s special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said he was deeply alarmed by the continuing cycle of violence in the occupied West Bank.

In the midst of general strike called in West Bank, large crowds turned up for the funerals of the nine victims.

Clashes were broken out between Palestinian and Israeli forces near Bethlehem and Ramallah.

Maj. Gen. Akram Rajoub, the governor of Jenin, called the Israeli operation at the camp the bloodiest in more than a year.

An EU official in Jerusalem termed the situation was heading toward a dangerous curve.