Israel forces kill 2 more Palestinians in West Bank, death toll rises to 165 since Oct. 7

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Two more Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire in the West Bank on Thursday, taking the death toll in the occupied territory to 165 since Oct. 7, the Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said a 51-year-old man was shot dead in the town of Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem, and a 30-year-old was killed in Dura town, south of Hebron.

According to eyewitnesses, Israeli forces staged military raids into the Jenin and al-Amari refugee camps on Thursday amid clashes with Palestinian gunmen.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Oct. 7 amid an Israeli military offensive on the Gaza Strip.

At least 165 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,280 others have been arrested by the Israeli army in the occupied territory since then, according to Palestinian figures.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas a month ago.

At least 10,569 Palestinians, including 4,324 children and 2,823 women, have been killed since Oct. 7. The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is nearly 1,600, according to official figures.