Six Palestinians said killed in clashes with IDF soldiers in Tulkarem
Military says troops uncover IEDs, detain wanted Palestinians, clash with terror operatives and carry out drone strike; forces demolish terrorist’s home
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
At least six Palestinians were killed during clashes with Israel Defense Forces troops in the West Bank’s Tulkarem refugee camp on Tuesday morning, the Palestinian Authority health ministry reported.
The IDF said it had clashed with local terror operatives and carried out a drone strike against a group of armed Palestinians who were hurling explosives at the forces operating in the camp overnight.
Troops of the IDF’s Kfir Brigade continued to operate in the camp in the morning hours.
The IDF said that overnight, the soldiers uncovered hidden explosive devices, and questioned and detained wanted Palestinians.
Footage showed armored bulldozers ripping up streets in the camp, where explosive devices were planted.
The Palestinian Authority health ministry said six people were killed and 12 were wounded, including four in critical condition, during the clashes and as a result of the drone strike.
IDF carried out a drone strike against Palestinian gunmen hurling explosives at troops in the West Bank's Tulkarm refugee camp this morning. PA Health Ministry reports six dead during clashes and the drone strike. pic.twitter.com/ei8XTkkvGI
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 14, 2023
تغطية صحفية: جرافات الاحتلال تواصل التدمير في مخيم طولكرم. pic.twitter.com/noPwyP5lT8
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) November 14, 2023
Meanwhile, the IDF said it demolished the home of Muhannad Faleh Shehadeh, one of the two Hamas terrorists who killed four Israelis in a shooting attack at a gas station near the West Bank settlement of Eli in June, in the village of Urif near Nablus.
IDF says it demolished the home of Muhannad Faleh Shehadeh, one of the two Hamas terrorists who killed four Israelis in a shooting attack at a gas station near the West Bank settlement of Eli in June, in the village of Urif near Nablus. The home of the second assailant, Khaled… pic.twitter.com/9ftjvRRbWV
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 14, 2023
The home of the second assailant, Khaled Mustafa Sabah, was demolished last month.
As a matter of policy, Israel regularly demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out deadly terror attacks as well as their accomplices.
Tensions in the West Bank have been escalating since October 7, when some 3,000 Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel from Gaza, killing some 1,200 people and taking at least 240 hostages, making it the deadliest day in Israel’s history.
In response, the country has vowed to eradicate Hamas from Gaza, where the group has ruled since 2007, and launched an operation, attacking Hamas both from the air and on the ground.
While the IDF operates inside Gaza, the West Bank has continued to simmer, and since October 7, some 1,570 wanted Palestinians have been arrested across the West Bank, including more than 950 affiliated with Hamas.
The PA health ministry has said that more than 183 West Bank Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and in some cases, by settlers. The Yesh Din rights group said last week that there had been over 172 incidents of settler violence and harassment against Palestinians in at least 84 Palestinian towns and communities.
At the same time, there has been a noted uptick in terror attacks or attempted terror attacks by Palestinians against Israelis across the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
