Eight Palestinians, two Israelis killed in West Bank violence

JENIN Palestinian Territories — An air strike, gunfire and explosives across the West Bank killed eight Palestinians and two Israelis on Sunday, officials on both sides said as violence surges in the occupied territory.

Seven Palestinian were killed in an Israeli air strike in the area of Jenin refugee camp, a fighters’ stronghold in the northern West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Israeli police said an officer was killed when her "vehicle... was hit by an explosive device" during a raid on the camp, adding that three other officers were wounded.

In a separate incident, a Palestinian man was killed by Israeli forces fire in Abwein village north of Ramallah, said the health ministry. There was no immediate comment from the military.

Elsewhere in the Ramallah area, an Israeli civilian was shot dead, according to the Israeli forces.

The Israel man was "killed adjacent to the British police junction" north of Ramallah, it said in a statement.

Violence in the West Bank has surged to levels unseen in nearly two decades since October 7.

Israeli forces carry out regular raids in the occupied territory including Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp, often triggering gun battles between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported early Sunday a major deployment of Israeli forces in Jenin.

It said an “Israeli drone strike” killed six people including four brothers. A seventh person later died from wounds.

‘Unbelievable scene’ 

Suleiman Moussa, a resident of Jenin, said the air strike followed sounds of gunfire.

“We came here and saw people thrown to the ground ... [and] some body parts,” Moussa told AFP.

“It was an unbelievable scene and we didn’t know what to do.”

AFP footage from the site of the strike near the camp showed residents inspecting patches of blood and splintered glass on a pavement.

Mourners gathered later on Sunday for the funeral of the four brothers.

During 2023, the health ministry counted more than 520 Palestinian deaths in across the West Bank in violence related to the conflict.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.

About 3 million Palestinians live in the territory along with 490,000 Israelis, who live in settlements deemed illegal under international law.