Israeli army raids Palestinian camp near Nablus amid West Bank assault

By Qais Abu Samra and Ahmed Asmar

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - The Israeli army raided the Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank on Thursday, in an expansion of its ongoing offensive in the occupied territory, witnesses said.

Armed clashes were reported in the camp near Nablus city as the army sent military reinforcement into the area, they said.

No information was yet available about injuries or arrests.

The Israeli army has been conducting military operations in the northern West Bank since last month, killing at least 63 people and displacing thousands.

The raids were the latest in Israel’s ongoing military escalation in the West Bank, where at least 926 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 7,000 injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers since the start of the onslaught against the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In July, the International Court of Justice declared that Israel’s long-standing occupation of Palestinian territories is "unlawful," demanding the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.