19th October, 2023
Six people have been killed in clashes with Israeli troops in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian ministry of health.
Israeli forces entered the Nur Shams refugee camp in the city of Tulkarm earlier and fighting between them and Palestinian gunmen is ongoing, Reuters reports, citing witnesses.
The BBC reports that the Israeli military said earlier that it had arrested over 80 suspects, including “63 Hamas terror operatives”, in raids overnight in the West Bank.
It said it had arrested five suspects in Nur Shams and added that security forces are “continuing to operate in the camp to thwart terror activity”.
The Israeli-occupied West Bank is separate from the Gaza Strip. Parts of it are governed by the Palestinian Authority, whereas Gaza is run by Hamas.
According to UN figures as of last night, at least 61 Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 7 October. More than 1,200 have also been injured.
The BBC reports that clashes with Palestinian Authority security forces have also intensified in recent days, as protesters have taken to the streets over the war in Gaza.
Violence by Israeli settlers has also seen an uptick, with attacks on Palestinians documented by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem.