Wed Dec 25 03:38:12 UTC 2024: ## Israeli Raid on West Bank Leaves Eight Palestinians Dead, Commander Injured

**Tulkarem, West Bank –** At least eight Palestinians, including two women and a teenager, were killed during Israeli military raids in the Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The raids, which began at dawn, involved drone strikes, ground troops, and resulted in the injury of an Israeli commander.

Seven Palestinians died in Tulkarem, with the ministry identifying two women, Khawla Ali Abdullah Abdo (53) and Bara Khalid Hussein (30), and an 18-year-old, Fathi Saeed Salem Obaid, among the victims. One Palestinian, Mahmoud Muhammad Khaled Amar, was killed in Nur Shams. The Israeli military claimed responsibility for killing one Palestinian in a “counterterrorism” operation in Tulkarem and arrested 18 others, confiscating weapons. They later confirmed an airstrike on Nur Shams.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, claimed responsibility for the deaths of two of their members in Tulkarem. An Israeli military vehicle carrying the commander of the Menashe Brigade, Colonel Ayub Kayuf, was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) during the raid, resulting in the commander’s injuries and requiring medical evacuation.

Further violence was reported throughout the night, with several Palestinians sustaining gunshot wounds in Beit Fruik and Beit Ummar. Israeli forces also demolished infrastructure in Tulkarem, including homes, shops, and parts of a mosque and the water network.

The escalating violence comes amid increased Israeli military activity in the West Bank since the October 2023 conflict in Gaza. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported last week that 968 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank between January 2023 and November 2024, including 210 children. The incident further underscores the ongoing tensions and high death toll in the region.

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