At least eight Palestinians lost their lives on Tuesday during Israeli military raids on a refugee camp near Tulkarm, located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to statements from Palestinian and Israeli officials.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that 53-year-old Khawla Abdo was killed in shelling by Israeli forces during the early hours of the morning. Additionally, 18-year-old Fathi Saeed Odeh Salem succumbed to gunshot wounds to his abdomen and chest. Another Palestinian woman died later in the day due to injuries sustained during the assault.
By Tuesday afternoon, the Palestinian Health Ministry revised the death toll to eight, citing additional casualties resulting from renewed shelling in Tulkarm.
Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed that two of its members were among those killed in the operation. Meanwhile, the Israeli military stated that one Palestinian was killed during what it described as a “counter-terrorism” operation in Tulkarm. During the raids, Israeli forces arrested 18 individuals and seized a significant cache of weapons.
In an early Wednesday update, the Israeli army reported that the commander of the Menashe Regional Brigade sustained moderate injuries when his vehicle was struck by an explosive device during the operation. “The commander was evacuated for medical treatment, while the other passengers in the vehicle were unharmed,” the military noted in a statement.
Later on Tuesday, the military launched airstrikes targeting armed militants in the Nur Shams refugee camp, the statement added.
The escalation comes amidst ongoing violence in the region. Since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, the conflict has intensified, resulting in widespread casualties in the West Bank, Gaza, and beyond. Hundreds of Palestinians and dozens of Israelis have been killed in the West Bank alone during this period of heightened tensions.
The official Palestinian news agency, WAFA, alleged that Israeli forces obstructed ambulance crews from reaching Salem by firing at them. The agency further reported significant destruction within the Tulkarm refugee camp, including the demolition of homes, shops, parts of Al-Salam mosque’s walls, and sections of the camp’s water infrastructure. Bulldozers were deployed to carry out these demolitions, WAFA stated.
The situation remains volatile as violence continues to grip the region, with the prospect of further escalation raising concerns among international observers.
