Israel raids West Bank's Tubas

AFP | Tubas, Palestinian Territories

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Palestinian medics said an air strike targeting a car in the occupied West Bank killed five people yesterday, while the Israeli military reported it hit "an armed terrorist cell". "Five killed and (one) seriously wounded in a strike (on) a car in Tubas," the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement, referring to an area that has been a focus of Israeli operations for more than a week. The Israeli military said its aircraft "conducted three targeted strikes on armed terrorists" in the Tubas area.

It did not provide a toll but said the dead included Muhammad Zakaria Zubeidi, "a significant terrorist from the Jenin area", also in the northern West Bank. It said Muhammad was son of Zakaria Zubeidi, a chief of the armed wing of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party and the alleged mastermind of a daring prison break from northern Israel in 2021. A large number of Israeli troops stormed the AlFaraa refugee camp in Tubas governorate, where explosions were heard, eyewitnesses told AFP.

"One martyr was shot by the occupation (Israeli) forces in Al-Faraa camp," the Palestinian health ministry said. Driver Iyad Dagharmeh, 34, said there was "intense Israeli warplane activity over Tubas city for the first time". Hamas, whose October 7 attack on southern Israel triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, said the operation amounted to a "re-invasion", adding: "We mourn our martyrs who fell as a result of this brutal aggression."

Israel launched a large-scale offensive across the northern West Bank on August 28, fighting Palestinian militants and leaving widespread destruction. Israeli forces have killed at least 36 Palestinians in the assault, the Palestinian health ministry says. One Israeli soldier was killed in Jenin, where most of the Palestinian fatalities have taken place. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and the military has ramped up its deadly raids in the territory since its war in Gaza against Hamas militants erupted on October 7.

At least 661 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli military and settlers since October 7, according to the health ministry.At least 23 Israelis, including security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks in the territory during the same period, according to Israeli officials.