In the occupied West Bank, more than 100 Palestinians have lost their lives since the conflict between Israel and Gaza’s ruling Hamas began on October 7, according to the health ministry. Prior to the Gaza war, violence in the West Bank had already escalated, resulting in the highest death toll in the territory since at least 2005. Many of these Palestinian casualties occurred during Israeli military operations, but there has also been an increase in violence between Palestinians and Israeli settlers, leading to civilian and fighter casualties on both sides.
Since October 7, violence has intensified in the West Bank, including annexed East Jerusalem, with the Palestinian death toll reaching 101, according to the health ministry based in Ramallah. During the same period, the Israeli military reported one member of the security forces killed while participating in a raid.
In the most recent incidents, three Palestinians were killed in Jenin, one in Qalqilya, and another in Qalandia. The health ministry attributed these deaths to Israeli bullets and missiles. The Israeli military stated that it carried out a drone strike on “terrorists” in the densely populated Jenin refugee camp, noting that “armed terrorists” had fired at and thrown explosive devices at Israeli security forces in the camp. Israeli forces also engaged “armed terrorists” in the nearby town of Bruqin, where they detained two individuals.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the fatalities in Qalqilya and Qalandia when contacted by AFP.
It’s important to note that Israel has maintained control over the West Bank since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and withdrew from Gaza in 2005, subsequently imposing a blockade on the coastal territory.
The recent Gaza war, which has been the deadliest to date, began when Hamas militants attacked Israel, resulting in over 1,400 casualties, the majority of whom were civilians, according to Israeli authorities. In Gaza, the health ministry under Hamas control reported that 5,791 people, mostly civilians, have been killed as a result of Israeli bombardments.
Source: AFP