No less than 18 individuals have been killed in an Israeli air strike within the occupied West Financial institution metropolis of Tulkarm, the Palestinian well being ministry mentioned late on Thursday.
The Palestinian Authority-run information company Wafa mentioned the air strike had hit a restaurant within the Tulkarm refugee camp the place many civilians had been current.
The Israeli navy mentioned the air power had carried out a strike in Tulkarm in a joint operation with its Shin Wager safety service and had killed the pinnacle of Hamas in Tulkarm and “different vital terrorists”.
There was a spike in violence within the West Financial institution since Hamas’s lethal assault on Israel on 7 October and the following battle in Gaza.
Since then greater than 700 Palestinians have been killed as Israeli forces have intensified their raids, saying they’re attempting to stem lethal Palestinian assaults on Israelis within the West Financial institution and Israel.
The Israeli navy has carried out dozens of air strikes within the occupied West Financial institution previously yr, however usually utilizing drones or helicopters.
One resident from the realm instructed AFP information company the Israeli had “hit a cafeteria in a three-story constructing.”
“There are lots of victims within the hospital,” the resident added, saying the demise toll would doubtless rise.
The Israel Protection Forces (IDF) mentioned the strike had killed Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, who it mentioned had tried a automobile bombing final month and equipped weapons.
Wafa quoted a neighborhood official as saying youngsters and aged individuals from a number of households had been killed within the strike.
Tulkarm was one of many cities and Palestinian refugee camps focused throughout a significant Israeli navy operation in August.
Final month UN rights chief Volker Turk mentioned main Israeli operations within the occupied West Financial institution have been going down “at a scale not witnessed within the final 20 years”.
Over the previous yr greater than 700 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in West Financial institution, the Palestinian well being ministry says.
In the meantime at the least 24 Israelis together with members of the safety forces have been killed by Palestinian attackers in the identical interval, in keeping with Israeli officers.
