By Qais Abu Samra
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - The Israeli army is besieging a group of paramedic volunteers inside a house in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said Monday in a statement.
It added that Israeli forces have begun demolishing the facade of the house, located in the Tulkarm Refugee Camp in the northern part of the West Bank.
The statement also noted ongoing communication and coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on developments.
A significant Israeli military force early Monday stormed the Tulkarm camp, surrounding it from all directions and imposing a curfew.
Witnesses reported that the Israeli military demolished infrastructure, shops, and homes amid armed clashes with Palestinians.
The military started evacuating Palestinian families from the Al-Sawalma neighborhood in the camp, they said.
The Israeli military has also besieged the Thabet Thabet Hospital in the city of Tulkarm and searched ambulances, according to witnesses.
Tensions have been high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7.
At least 497 Palestinians have been killed and more than 4,950 injured by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank since Oct. 7.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul