2 Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire in West Bank refugee camp

​​​​​​​By Aysar Alais

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Two Palestinians were killed late Tuesday by Israeli army gunfire in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank.

"Two martyrs were brought to Jenin Governmental Hospital after being shot by the occupation (Israeli) forces in the eastern neighborhood of the Jenin camp,” the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that "the army released a team belonging to the society that was trapped inside a house in the Jenin camp, where the two martyrs were located." The aid group said the team later managed to leave the house.

Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank due to Israel’s brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 43,900 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 785 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 6,450 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

The escalation follows a landmark opinion in July by the International Court of Justice that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala