Nine Palestinians have been killed this morning during a raid by the Israeli army in the city of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank. As reported by the Minister of Health of the Palestinian National Authority, almost a hundred more people have been injured.
A ministry spokesman identified three of the dead as Muhamad Khaled Anbousi, 25, Nimer Ahmed Minawi, 33; and Adnan Saba Baara, 72 years old;
According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, a large number of Israeli soldiers stormed the old city of Nablus and surrounded a house, leading to heavy armed clashes with Palestinians. In social media images cited by the Associated Press agency, Israeli troops are seen operating in downtown Nablus and army vehicles firing tear gas canisters.
It is the umpteenth attack in a year of unrest in the West Bank amid a sharp escalation of violence in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and it shows no signs of abating. In 2023 alone, 55 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and 11 Israelis have been killed by Palestinians, making it the deadliest year in the region since 2004.
Israeli forces say the military incursions are aimed at dismantling militant networks and thwarting future attacks, while Palestinians see them as further entrenchment of the 55-year-old Israeli occupation.
Raids like today's have become almost daily since late March last year, when Israel launched its "Cracking the Wave" operation in response to a series of deadly attacks by Palestinians or Israeli Arabs. The most frequent focus of these arrest operations is the northern West Bank, especially the cities of Nablus and Jenin, which are home to important local armed groups, responsible for several attacks against Israelis.
