Israeli forces have killed at least three Palestinians during a raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry has said, as Israel intensifies its deadly attacks in the territory.
The three have been identified as Ibrahim Taher Muhammad al-Saadi, 21; Issa Nafez Jallad, 17; and Uday Ayman Marei, 24, the Palestinian news agency Wafa cited the director of Jenin’s government hospital as saying.
The director, Wissam Bakr, said 15 others were wounded and have been transferred to several hospitals including Jenin’s al-Razi and Ibn Sina Hospital.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said its crews dealt with eight wounded people during the raid, including five who were shot with live bullets and two who suffered shrapnel wounds.
The al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, said in a statement that its fighters were engaged in “violent clashes” near the Jenin refugee camp.
Wafa cited its correspondent as saying a convoy of Israeli army vehicles, including bulldozers, entered the area backed by Apache attack helicopters.
The report said Israeli army tanks belonging to special forces destroyed stands belonging to local vendors and shot bullets towards the main electrical transformer in the camp, which resulted in a power outage.
Hospitals were surrounded and emergency services were prevented from reaching the injured, it added. At least two people have also been detained.
The Israeli army routinely carries out raids in the city and its adjacent camp.
The West Bank has experienced a surge in violence for more than a year, but especially since Israel launched its latest deadly assault on the besieged Gaza Strip on October 7.
At least 530 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or illegal settlers since October, according to Palestinian officials.
Thousands have also been arrested, many of whom are being held under administrative detention, a widely criticised practice that involves Israeli forces imprisoning Palestinians without trial or charge for renewable six-month periods.
Earlier this week, United Nations rights chief Volker Turk decried the bloodshed. “Pervasive impunity for such crimes has been commonplace for far too long in the occupied West Bank,” he said, adding that this has created an environment for more “unlawful killings” by Israeli forces.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to bombard the Gaza Strip as it steps up ground incursions in the southern and middle areas of the enclave. More than 36,650 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children.
