By Qais Abu Samra
JENIN, Palestine (AA): At least eight Palestinians were killed early Sunday when Israel bombed a civilian gathering area in the Jenin Governorate in the northern occupied West Bank.
In a statement, the Palestinian Health Ministry said: “Six Palestinians were martyred when the Israeli occupation bombed a gathering of citizens in Jenin.” Since the statement was made, two more Palestinians have succumbed to injuries sustained in the Israeli drone attack.
According to Wafa news agency, of the eight Palestinians killed by Israeli drone attacks, four were brothers.
In an official statement, the Ministry of Health said the four siblings, Hazza’, 27, Rami, 22, Ahmed, 24, and Alaa Najeh Darwish, 29, in addition to Razqallah Nabil Sleiman, 18, Mohammad Yasser As’ous, and Wadia Yaser As’ous, 18, were killed in the Israeli drone strike. The name of the eighth Palestinian has not been released yet.
The eight, including the four brothers, are residents of the village of Muthallath ash-Shuhada in the Jenin province. added Wafa.
The Israeli army bombed a public gathering in Martyrs’ Square near the city of Jenin in the West Bank, eyewitnesses told Anadolu.
Witnesses said the bombing resulted in many casualties, with human remains scattered at the scene, and the injured were taken to Jenin Governmental Hospital in the city.
Earlier, at daybreak Sunday, Israeli forces stormed the city of Jenin, the centre of the governorate, including its refugee camp and several neighborhoods. Sounds of gunfire and explosions were heard, according to witnesses.
Witnesses said that a helicopter bombed the camp, but no casualties were reported there.
At least one Israeli police officer was killed due to injuries sustained during the raid.
At least four Israeli officers were injured in an explosion during the raid, and two sustained serious injuries, according to a joint Israeli army and police statement.
The wounded border police officers were taken to a hospital in northern Israel, where injured Shay Germay, a woman officer, was reported dead, a later joint statement said.
The casualties came from the explosion of a device on the roadside as an Israeli forces’ vehicle was on site during the raid.
Images on social media showed a vehicle belonging to Israeli forces being overturned due to the impact of the explosion.
Tensions have been high across the West Bank since fighting broke out in Gaza on Oct. 7 between Palestinian groups and Israel.
The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and illegal Israeli settlers in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is at least 330, according to Health Ministry data. Israel has detained 5,630 Palestinians without trial in the West Bank since October 7.
In Gaza, Gaza’s media office condemned the killing of two more Palestinian journalists, bringing the number of media workers killed to 109 since the war began, reported Al Jazeera.
The media office denounced “in the strongest terms this heinous crime” committed by the “Israeli occupation army against journalists.”.
Since Oct. 7, Israeli attacks in the West Bank have escalated simultaneously with the devastating war against Gaza, which has killed at least 22,722 Palestinians, including 9,600 children, 6,750 women, and injured 58,166; 7,000 Palestinians are still missing.
According to Israeli authorities, 1,139 people were killed on October 7 in Israel by Hamas.
The conflict has also caused extensive infrastructure damage and an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, according to authorities in the Gaza Strip and the UN.
*Writing by Ikram Kouachi
Additional reports from Wafa News Agency and The Muslim News
Photo: Injured Palestinian child by Israeli bombing being treated at Nasser Hospitalt in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on January 6, 2024. (Credit Belal Khaled/AA)
