Israeli forces have shot and killed at least nine Palestinians and wounded over a dozen others during a violent raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, as tensions continue to escalate across the occupied territories.
Palestinian media outlets reported that Israeli forces stormed the flashpoint city and the neighboring refugee camp with more than 70 armed vehicles on Thursday, triggering violent confrontations with local residents.
Israeli snipers were also deployed on rooftops, and heavily-armed soldiers opened fire towards Palestinian youths who attempted to block their entry.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s office condemned the killings as “a massacre” committed by the Israeli occupation forces “in the shadow of international silence.”
In a statement, the Palestinian Health Ministry identified one of the victims as 24-year-old Saeb Essam Mahmoud Azriqi, adding that an elderly woman was also among the dead.
According to the ministry, Azriqi was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition after being shot in the chest, and later succumbed to his wounds.
The identities of the other fatalities were not immediately known.
The ministry further noted that 13 others were also injured by live ammunition, including three with critical wounds.