Israeli forces have launched numerous new raids across the occupied West Bank as conflicts linger between the Palestinian Authority and armed groups in Jenin.
At least 18 Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces during a series of raids between Monday evening and Tuesday morning, the Israeli military said. The Palestinian Prisoners Society said those arrested included a wounded person.
The Israeli raids took place in the governorates of Nablus, Hebron, Tubas, Tulkarem, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Salfit and Ramallah. As with many daily incursions into Palestinian territories, the raids were accompanied by extensive searches, house demolitions and detentions without charge.
A young Palestinian man was killed at dawn on Tuesday by Israeli bullets during a storming of the Tulkarem refugee camp, according to the Wafa news agency. It cited witnesses as saying the man was shot by Israeli snipers, who then prevented ambulance crews from reaching him by firing at them. Israel said the person was killed during "face-to-face battles” with troops.
A large force of soldiers and armoured vehicles, accompanied by two heavy bulldozers, reportedly stormed Tulkarem city from its western axis, and headed towards the camp as drones flew at low altitudes.
Israeli military bulldozers demolished infrastructure in various neighbourhoods of the camp, affecting the water network and causing power outages and internet disruptions.
Palestinian fighters reported engaging in armed clashes with Israeli forces in Tulkarem, with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades coalition of armed groups saying fighters used automatic weapons and explosive devices.
During a raid in Nablus, at least three Palestinians were wounded and one was arrested after soldiers attacked the city, along with the Balata camp at dawn. Israeli forces reportedly surrounded a house in the al-Tirawi neighbourhood inside the Balata camp and detained a young Palestinian while spreading through multiple other neighbourhoods. (Agencies)