Israeli drone strike in West Bank kills five Palestinians

The strike targeted a vehicle near the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm, killing five Palestinians.
1 min read
03 August, 2024
The aftermath of a Israeli drone strike near the city of Tulkarm [Getty]

Israeli forces killed five Palestinians in a drone airstrike which targeted a vehicle northeast to the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm early on Saturday, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

The vehicle was driving along the Zeita-Attil road when it was hit, with all five people killed, a medical source confirmed to the news agency.

The vehicle lit up in flames after it was targeted, with Israeli forces storming the area and cordoning off the scene after, preventing anyone from approaching.

Amin Khader, the director of the Thabet Thabet Governmental Hospital in Tulkarm said that four of the bodies arrived at the hospital burned and charred beyond recognition.

Only one of the bodies were identifiable, with the man named as Haytham Nuriddin Bleidi, a 25-year-old from the Tulkarm refugee camp.

Palestinian groups declared a one-day general strike to mourn the victims in the city.

The Israeli army issued a statement saying it struck "a vehicle carrying terrorists using a drone".

On the same day, Israeli forces also carried out arrests across other West Bank cities, including in Jenin, Bethlehem, Nablus and Jerusalem.

One of the people arrested was identified as Talaat at-Tur, a Palestinian journalist from Nablus.