TULKAREM: In yet another tragic incident that highlights the ongoing violence in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian during night-time clashes at the Nur Shams refugee camp.
The Palestinian health ministry identified the victim as Ayed Samih Khaled and stated that he was fatally shot in the head by live Israeli bullets. This incident occurred amidst a backdrop of escalating tensions in the region, with no respite in sight.
The Israeli army has not provided an immediate comment regarding the incident, leaving questions and concerns unanswered. Meanwhile, residents of the Nur Shams camp, situated near the town of Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, recounted the events that unfolded during the night of the incident.
According to an anonymous resident who spoke to AFP due to security concerns, Israeli forces entered the camp around midnight (2100 GMT on Monday). As they made their way into the camp, clashes erupted between some militants and the soldiers. The Israeli army had reportedly deployed bulldozers with the intention of destroying roads within the camp, further escalating the tension.
The impact of the clashes extended beyond the confrontation itself. A sports centre within the Nur Shams camp suffered extensive damage during the raid, as reported by an AFP journalist on the scene. Such collateral damage serves as a somber reminder of the broader consequences of the ongoing conflict.
The West Bank has witnessed a surge in violence related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since early last year. Tragically, the toll of this violence continues to rise. According to a tally by AFP based on official sources from both sides, at least 226 Palestinians, 32 Israelis, one Ukrainian, and one Italian have lost their lives this year alone. This grim statistic encompasses a range of casualties on both sides of the conflict, including combatants and civilians.
