Death toll in West Bank rises to 103, including 2 prisoners

By Qais Omar Darwesh Omar

WEST BANK, Palestine (AA) - The Palestinian death toll in the West Bank since the start of the current conflict on Oct. 7 has risen to 103, including two in Israeli prisons, according to a count by Anadolu based on official figures.

The Health Ministry, in a Wednesday statement viewed by Anadolu Agency, reported: “Four Palestinians were killed this morning by the gunfire and missiles of the occupation, including three killed in Jenin and one in Qalqilya."

An Israeli military force entered Qalqilya and did house-to-house searches, resulting in clashes with dozens of Palestinians. The army used live ammunition and rubber bullets during the confrontations, eyewitnesses told Anadolu.

Medical sources also confirmed to Palestinian news agency Wafa that 19-year-old Khaled Salam Faqhaa from the town of Anabta in eastern Tulkarm succumbed to his injuries caused by Israeli army gunfire a week earlier.

On Tuesday, the Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Authority and the Palestinian Prisoners Club announced the death of a Palestinian prisoner in Israeli prison, marking the second such case in less than 24 hours.

They did not address the circumstances surrounding his death, and as of 1640GMT, there has been no official statement from Israeli authorities on the matter. ​​​​​​​He has been detained since Oct. 22 as part of the recent arrest campaigns in the West Bank, said the statement.

The West Bank is witnessing a wave of clashes and confrontations between Palestinians and the Israeli army as the Israeli operation intensifies and the humanitarian situation deteriorates in the Gaza Strip.

The conflict in Gaza, which has been under Israeli bombardment since Oct. 7, began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers.

The Israeli military then launched a relentless air campaign against the Gaza Strip.

Nearly 7,200 people have been killed in the conflict, including at least 5,791 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis.

Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been running out of food, water, medicines and fuel, and aid convoys allowed into Gaza have carried only a fraction of what is needed.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala