Israeli military raid kills 2 Palestinians in the West Bank. Israel says its troops came under fire

NOUR SHAMS REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank — Two Palestinians were killed during an Israeli military raid Sunday in the northern West Bank, Palestinian health officials said, the latest bloodshed in a surge of violence during a sensitive Jewish holiday period.

The Israeli military has entered the Nour Shams refugee camp, located close to Tulkarem, with the intention of demolishing a building that is being used as a militant command center and bomb-storage facility.

Engineering units set off several bombs that were planted beneath roads, while militants retaliated by firing weapons and throwing explosives. In response, the troops also engaged with live ammunition.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said two men – Asid Abu Ali, 21, and Abdulrahman Abu Daghash, 32 – were killed by Israeli fire. The raid caused heavy damage to the camp’s main road, severing water pipes and flooding parts of the street. The ground floor of the targeted building was heavily damaged, while part of the exterior wall of the second floor collapsed.

Abu Ali was identified as a member of the Hamas militant group.

Elsewhere in the West Bank, Birzeit University, a major Palestinian institution, said the Israeli army carried out a rare raid on its campus near the city of Ramallah and arrested nine students, including the head of the student council. It said the students were all supporters of the Hamas militant group. The university denounced the raid, which it said caused damage to university property.

Israeli military operation results in the deaths of 2 Palestinians in the West Bank. Israel claims that its soldiers were attacked.

The Israeli military alleged that the individuals were conspiring to carry out an assault on targets within Israel.

For the past year and a half, Israel has been conducting increased military operations, mainly in the northern West Bank. They claim that these actions are aimed at eliminating Palestinian militants and preventing future attacks.

However, the Palestinians argue that the raids further solidify Israel’s control over the West Bank, which has been ongoing for 56 years. These raids have not shown any indication of reducing the conflict and have also played a role in undermining the Palestinian Authority, the governing body responsible for managing certain areas of the West Bank under Israeli occupation.

According to The Associated Press, around 190 Palestinians have lost their lives in the West Bank since the beginning of this year. Israel claims that the majority of those killed were militants, but there have also been casualties among protesting youths and innocent bystanders not engaged in the conflicts.

This year, Palestinian attacks against Israelis have resulted in the deaths of at least 31 individuals.

Over the past week, tensions have started to escalate in the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of Palestinians have been engaging in daily protests along the fence that divides the area from Israel.

Israeli airstrikes targeted a militant site once again on Saturday, following a similar incident the previous day. The strikes were in response to Palestinians launching incendiary balloons into Israeli farmland and engaging in violent acts such as throwing stones and explosives at soldiers near the separation fence.

The surge in violence coincides with the Jewish New Year festivities. Jews are preparing to observe Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in their religious calendar, on Sunday evening, followed by the weeklong Sukkot celebration later this month.

During Sukkot, large numbers of Jews are expected to visit Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. The compound, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is often a focal point for violence.

In the 1967 Mideast war, Israel gained control over the West Bank, east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians aspire to have these territories as part of their future independent state.