Israeli soldiers are seen at the scene where two Palestinians were killed near the village of Shufa, southeast of the northern West Bank city of Tulkarm, on Oct. 5, 2023. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)
RAMALLAH, Oct. 5, (Xinhua) -- At least two Palestinians were killed and six Israeli soldiers wounded during the new round of clashes in the West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.
"Abed Rahman Atta, 23, and Hothifa Fares, 27, were killed by the Israeli army in Shufa village near the city of Tulkarm," the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry said in a press statement.
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) claimed in a statement the slain Palestinians as members of its armed wing Al-Qassam Brigades.
The Israeli military also confirmed that they shot dead two Palestinian gunmen who fired shots at an Israeli motorcyclist near the village of Shufa and then fled the scene.
Israeli troops then closed roads in the area and located the two in a car before killing them, according to a statement released by the military.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said in a statement that Israeli forces had prevented its crews from accessing the scene of the incident.
People gather at the scene where two Palestinians were killed near the village of Shufa, southeast of the northern West Bank city of Tulkarm, on Oct. 5, 2023. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)
Also on Thursday, the Israeli army carried out a raid in the Tulkarm refugee camp and stormed the homes of dozens of Palestinians, according to Palestinian security sources.
Eyewitnesses told Xinhua that clashes erupted between residents and the Israeli army after the latter stormed the camp to arrest "wanted" persons.
During the clashes, Palestinian militants hurled homemade bombs at Israeli forces, who responded by firing live bullets and tear gas.
Palestinian medical sources told Xinhua that two young men were wounded in the confrontation, one in the shoulder and the other in the abdomen, and their condition is currently stable.
Palestinian armed factions announced in separate statements that their militants had inflicted Israeli casualties in gun and bomb ambushes in Tulkarm.
Meanwhile, Avichai Adraee, spokesman for the Israeli army, said in a statement that five Israeli soldiers were wounded during a clash with Palestinian gunmen in Tulkarm, three of whom sustained serious injuries.
Adraee added that the five soldiers, who were injured while pulling out, had been evacuated to the hospital.
Palestinian protesters burn tires during clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Nablus, on Oct. 4, 2023. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)
In Nablus, clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli army broke out as Israeli forces stormed the city to escort dozens of Israeli settlers to Joseph's Tomb, a flashpoint site in Nablus to perform religious rituals, said Palestinian security sources.
"At least four people were injured, two of whom were wounded by live bullets in the chest and hand, the third by shrapnel in the back and foot, and the fourth by a gas bomb directly in the head. In addition, 120 others suffered from suffocation," Ahmed Jibril, director of ambulance and emergency services at the Red Crescent in Nablus, told Xinhua.
Eyewitnesses said Palestinian gunmen traded fire with the Israeli army in the area.
Israeli media outlets reported that an Israeli soldier was wounded during the clashes with Palestinian gunmen in Nablus, without detailing further.
A Palestinian protester burns tires during clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Nablus, on Oct. 4, 2023. (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua)
Almost daily, the Israeli army carried out raids in the West Bank cities to arrest "wanted" persons allegedly involved in carrying out or planning attacks against Israel.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson of the Palestinian presidency, warned that "daily war waged by the Israeli authorities will push the region towards explosion."
The area has seen increasing violence between the Israelis and Palestinians in the past year and a half, mainly fueled by frequent Israeli raids in the Palestinian territories.
Since January, 33 people, most of them Israelis, have been killed in a series of attacks by Palestinians, and more than 220 Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers, according to official figures. ■
