At least five people have been reported dead in an Israeli air strike on a refugee camp located in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian authorities.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) acknowledged the attack, stating that it targeted what they referred to as the command centre of a “terror cell” within the Nur Shams camp near Tulkarm.
In a separate incident, the Palestinian Authority reported that one person was killed and three others injured during an assault by Israeli settlers near Bethlehem. The IDF mentioned that it is currently investigating these claims.
Violence in the West Bank has intensified since the war in Gaza began, following the deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel on 7 October. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported last Wednesday that 128 Palestinians, including 26 children, have been killed in air strikes in the West Bank since 7 October.
The agency also noted that as of 19 August, 607 Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with seven of those deaths caused by Israeli settlers. Additionally, ten Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinians originating from the West Bank, according to the agency.
The Nur Shams camp has been a frequent target of IDF operations in recent months. In April, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that 14 people were killed during a two-day Israeli operation. In July, the IDF demolished the main street of the camp.
Regarding Monday’s second reported incident near Bethlehem, Palestinian media stated that dozens of Israeli settlers entered the village of Wadi Rahhal and attacked the residents. According to Palestinian officials, the settlers fatally shot a 40-year-old Palestinian man and injured at least three others
Since Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war, the country has constructed approximately 160 settlements housing around 700,000 Jewish residents. The majority of the international community views these settlements as illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this interpretation.
NANCY MBAMALU
