Five Palestinians killed in Israeli raids in West Bank

Israeli forces killed five Palestinians in two military operations in the occupied West Bank where tensions have risen because of the Gaza war, Palestinian and Israeli sources said Wednesday.

One night-time air strike killed four men at a refugee camp near the town of Tulkarm, which has seen a surge in violence as Israel has intensified raids.

The Palestinian Authority health ministry said the four were "killed as a result of the occupation's bombing of Nur Shams camp".

An Israeli military statement said forces "carried out a precise strike on the terrorist cell," killing four militants it identified as Muhammad Shehade, Muhammad Kanouah, Yazid Shafa and Namer Ibrahim.

The statement said the four were "attempting to plant explosive devices" targeting Israeli soldiers operating in the area.

According to the Palestinian official news agency Wafa, the dead, aged 20 to 25, were killed by a drone near the centre of the camp.

One man was killed by Israeli fire in a separate Israeli operation in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

The statement identified the man as Nidal Ziad al-Amer, 23.

اربعة مجاهدين من كتيبة طولكرم يرتقون الى العلا شهداءً الى جوار نبيهم ورفاقهم بقصف صهيوني غادر وجبان

لا حول ولا قوة الا بالله pic.twitter.com/VVJSvWMH8X

— أحمَدْ (@Qassam127) July 2, 2024

An Israeli security official told AFP that al-Amer was killed as the Israeli army tried to arrest him for militant activity.

The towns of Jenin and Tulkarm are known as bastions of Palestinian militant activity and are frequently targeted by Israeli raids.

Violence in the West Bank has spiked since the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israel that ignited Israel's offensive in Gaza.

On Monday, a woman and child were killed in an Israeli raid in Nur Shams, according to Palestinian officials. Four others were wounded.

A two-day Israeli operation in April left 14 people dead in Nur Shams, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

At least 560 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank since the conflict in Gaza began, according to a health ministry tally.

At least 15 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the West Bank over the same period, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.