'Blood all over the street': Palestinians describe 'another massacre' after Israeli raid in Jenin

Israeli forces killed at least six Palestinians and wounded at least 16 more with live fire during a raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.

The Palestinian health ministry identified the victims as Mohammad Wael Ghazawi, Majd Mohammad Huseiniyeh, 26, Tareq Ziyad Natour, 27, Ziad Ameen Zareeni, 29, Moatasem Nasser Sabbagh, 22 and Abdel Fatah Huseein Khrousheh, 49, who Israeli forces accuse of being behind the shooting in Hawara a week ago, that killed two Israeli settlers.

The Ibn Sina hospital and the Jenin public hospital reported that among the injured are severe cases of bullet wounds to the abdomen.

Local sources described to The New Arab that an Israeli force entered Jenin camp around 3:00 pm, hidden in a civilian truck and surrounded a house in the upper part of the camp before more Israeli forces moved in with dozens of soldiers and clashed with Palestinian fighters.

War crimes on camera from the West Bank

Israeli forces prevent any ambulances or medical teams from reaching out to wounded and dead bodies in the affected neighborhoods during it’s invasion to Jenin. pic.twitter.com/g1xE9ozO7e

— Younis | يونس (@ytirawi) March 7, 2023

"The gun battle is still ongoing to this moment and the area is still sealed off by the occupation forces," Atta Abu Rmeileh, secretary of the Palestinian Fatah faction in the Jenin refugee camp, told TNA, struggling to make himself heard amidst sounds of gunfire.

"The occupation forces have been firing at the besieged house for an hour now, and nobody knows the exact number of people inside," he added.

"Fighting is very intense in the upper part of the camp and residents are avoiding open spaces and windows out of fear from the occupation's snipers," Mustafa Shita, director of the Jenin Freedom Theatre and resident of Jenin camp, said to TNA.

"Occupation forces have surrounded a house where apparently fighters wanted for the occupation were staying," he added. "Occupation forces have fired ground missiles and we heard several explosions, there is blood all over the street, and the occupation drones are overflying the camp around the clock."

🚨BREAKING 🚨 | Israeli occupation forces have killed at least five Palestinians and injured at least 10 others in today's assault on Jenin Refugee Camp, occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. @WAFANewsEnglish https://t.co/i8LhlbtVWr pic.twitter.com/mAiqjxM6hp

— Palestine Deep Dive (@PDeepdive) March 7, 2023

"Residents are staying indoors while keeping the doors open for anybody stuck in the street to take refuge," Najat Butmeh, director of the Women's Centre in Jenin and resident of the camp, told TNA amidst the sound of cheering Palestinians.

"Those are residents cheering the fighters who just shot down an occupation drone," said Butmeh. "Everybody is anxiously checking the news for names, fearing a relative might be among the killed or wounded." 

"Everybody is checking the names of victims on social media, fearing to find the name of a relative. It's another massacre," she added

Meanwhile, Israeli forces raided the city of Nablus, arresting at least three Palestinians. Israeli media quoted the Israeli army claiming that among the killed was the shooter who killed two Israeli settlers in Hawara last week.

In a statement, the Palestinian president's bureau said that "the Israeli daily killings of our people are a total war and destruction of everything" and called on the US administration "to immediately interfere and pressure the Israeli government into stopping its crimes".

Update from Jenin

Our fighters shot down a drone belonging to the Israeli army, credible sources from Jenin confirm that several Israeli soldiers are injured during the heavy gunfire exchange in the vicinity of the refugee camp

Israeli reinforcements currently heading to Jenin pic.twitter.com/xqtlzBojxW

— Younis | يونس (@ytirawi) March 7, 2023

In late January, Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians in a raid on the Jenin refugee camp, and in late February, Israeli forces killed ten Palestinians in a raid on Nablus.

With the raid, the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of the year has risen to 68, including 11 children.