Israeli military raid claims lives of 2 Palestinians amidst escalating tensions
Israeli forces have taken the lives of two Palestinians in the Nour Shams refugee camp, situated in the northern occupied West Bank city of Tulkarem, according to health officials.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has identified the victims as Asid Abu Ali, aged 21, and Abdulrahman Abu Daghash, aged 32, both of whom fell victim to Israeli gunfire during Sunday’s raid. This incursion has resulted in significant damage to the camp’s infrastructure.
The Israeli military has stated that its mission in the Nour Shams refugee camp was to dismantle what it termed a “militant command center and bomb-storage facility” housed within a building. They further reported that their engineering units successfully neutralized multiple explosive devices planted beneath roads. In response, armed Palestinian fighters engaged the Israeli troops, exchanging gunfire and hurling explosives, leading to the use of live fire by Israeli forces.
This incident follows earlier events in which Israeli forces fatally shot 21-year-old Ayed Samih Khaled Abu Harb during a separate raid on the same Nour Shams refugee camp earlier this month.
In recent times, Israel has intensified its military raids, primarily concentrated in the northern regions of the occupied West Bank, as part of an ongoing campaign aimed at dismantling Palestinian resistance networks and preventing future attacks. The Israeli occupation of the West Bank, home to approximately three million Palestinians, has endured for 56 years.
In July, Israel conducted one of its largest-scale assaults on the occupied West Bank, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 Palestinians in the Jenin refugee camp and leaving around 100 others injured.
These relentless military operations have shown little sign of abating and have contributed to the weakening of the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The United Nations has reported that 2023 has become the deadliest year for Palestinians since it began tracking casualties in 2006. The Health Ministry has documented the deaths of more than 200 Palestinians by Israeli gunfire since the beginning of this year, while Palestinian attacks during the same period have claimed the lives of at least 35 Israelis.
Tensions have recently spilled over into the blockaded Gaza Strip, where hundreds of Palestinians have initiated daily protests along the separation fence erected by Israel. Last week, Israel temporarily closed the Beit Hanouna crossing with Gaza, known as Erez by Israel, ahead of the Rosh Hashanah Jewish holiday. This closure has prevented thousands of workers from reaching their jobs in both Israel and the occupied West Bank.
Approximately 18,000 Palestinians in Gaza hold permits from Israeli authorities to work outside the besieged enclave, providing a crucial economic lifeline estimated at approximately $2 million daily to the impoverished region.
