Palestinian death toll from Israeli fire in West Bank rises to 56: Health Ministry

A total of 56 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire in the occupied West Bank since last week, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said on Sunday.

The latest casualty was a Palestinian man shot by Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank.

Last weekend, in a dramatic escalation of Mideast tensions, Israeli forces launched a sustained military push against the Gaza Strip, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air.

Hamas said the operation was in retaliation for the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has endured a crippling siege since 2007, as well as ordering over 1 million Gazans in the northern strip to evacuate to the south.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi