13 Palestinians killed in Israeli raids on Nur Shams refugee camp in West Bank

By Awad Rjoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - At least 13 Palestinians were killed in Israeli military raids in the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm in the northern West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Saturday.

The “13 martyrs were brought to Tulkarm Governmental Hospital from Nur Shams camp, raising the death toll due to the occupation's aggression on the city and the camp since Thursday evening to 14,” the ministry said on Facebook.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said Saturday that its teams were able to transfer “9 martyrs from the Nour Shams camp to the hospital,” who are among those announced by the Health Ministry.​​​​​​​

Witnesses confirmed to Anadolu that ambulances were able to enter the camp after the withdrawal of the army late Saturday.

Israeli Army Radio said Thursday that the military had begun implementing a “wide-scale military operation” in the refugee camp, without noting the target or duration of the operation.

Earlier Saturday, Faisal Salama, the head of the services committee in the Nur Shams camp, told Anadolu that the camp is under a “tight and intensified security siege.”

He pointed out the presence of “continuous reinforcements of military vehicles and bulldozers.”

“Young men were killed in their homes in cold blood, and hundreds were detained and interrogated, and dozens were arrested, amidst the continued cut of water, electricity, and communication services,” he added.

Parallel to its onslaught against the Gaza Strip since Oct 7, the Israeli army has escalated raids and arrests in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem.

The destructive offensive on Gaza has resulted in more than 34,000 deaths and injuries, most of them children and women, along with massive destruction and famine that has killed children and the elderly, according to Palestinian and international data.

Israel continues its war despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire. Tel Aviv is also facing charges of "genocide" before the International Court of Justice.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala