Five Palestinians killed in deadly Israeli raid on Tulkarm

Five Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces during large scale raids around Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank on Sunday morning.

The raids, which occurred in the city of Tulkarm and the neighbouring Nur Shams Refugee Camp, saw the use of drones strikes which reportedly killed two people.

According to Al Jazeera, Israel confirmed that it conducted a strike on the Nur Shams Refugee Camp saying it had struck Palestinian fighters.

Palestinian news agency WAFA identified the five people who were killed as Jihad Aarneh, 25, Mahmoud Samer Jaber, 22, Ghayth Yasser Shahada, 25, Waleed Asaad Zahra, 22, and Asaad Asad Zahra, 33.

WAFA added that heavy gunfire could be herd as clashes erupted between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces during the raid, with bulldozers accompanying Israeli forces.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), one person died as a result of their wounds after Israeli forces prevented PRCS ambulances from entering the camp. Four other people were also injured during the raid.

The deaths of the five come as a further two Palestinians were killed on Saturday during Israeli raids elsewhere in the occupied West Bank.

Since the start of the Gaza War on 7 October Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank have killed at least 297 people, with a further 3,365 injured.

The Israeli army continues its attack on Nur shams refugee camp in Tulkarem and on the city. The army is preventing ambulances from reaching the injured who are in critical condition. At least 2 Palestinians have been killed by the army and several injured. pic.twitter.com/nn4DkGZOzW

— Mustafa Barghouti @Mustafa_Barghouti (@MustafaBarghou1) December 17, 2023

Additionally, some 4,500 Palestinians have been detained across the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, according to figures from the Palestinian Prisoners Society.

In recent weeks, Israeli raids have become more ferocious, with increasing use of drone strikes accompanying them, including at the start of a two-day raid in Jenin in which four people were killed by a drone.

The Jenin raid, which lasted from Tuesday to Thursday last week, resulted in the killing of 12 Palestinians, including two minors.