An Israeli military raid killed 11 Palestinians together with a teen Wednesday in Nablus, the Palestinian well being ministry mentioned, within the deadliest escalation within the occupied West Bank since 2005.
More than 80 Palestinians suffered gunshot wounds, the Palestinian ministry mentioned, in what the Israeli military referred to as a “counter-terrorism” operation, spurring worldwide concern and requires calm.
Top Palestinian official Hussein Al Sheikh decried the incursion as a “massacre” and referred to as for “international protection for our people”.
The Israeli military mentioned the raid focused militant suspects “in a hideout apartment” accused of shootings within the West Bank. It added troops got here underneath fireplace however suffered no casualties.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres mentioned “the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory is at its most combustible in years”, with tensions “sky high” as “the peace process remains stalled”.
“Our immediate priority must be to prevent further escalation, reduce tensions and restore calm,” Guterres informed the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
The dying toll surpassed that of an Israeli military raid final month in Jenin, additional north, which had been the deadliest West Bank operation for the reason that second intifada, or Palestinian rebellion, of 2000 to 2005.
Before daybreak on Thursday, a number of rockets from Gaza — six based on the Israeli military, and eight based on witnesses on the Palestinian facet — have been fired into Israel.
The Israeli military mentioned it managed to intercept 5 of the six fired, whereas the ultimate rocket fell in an uninhabited space.
The rocket fireplace got here after the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group condemned the Israeli military’s raid as a “major crime” that the “resistance must respond to”.
In Wednesday’s raid, one of many wished suspects who had fled the constructing was “neutralised”, together with two others who had opened fireplace on the property, the Israeli military mentioned.
The suspects and Israeli forces “exchanged fire… there were also rockets that were fired on the house” by the military, spokesman Richard Hecht informed journalists.
Rocks, explosive units and Molotov cocktails have been hurled on the troops, the military mentioned.
The Palestinian well being ministry mentioned these killed “as a result of the occupation’s aggression on Nablus” have been aged between 16 and 72.
Hours after the raid, the ministry introduced the dying of a 66-year-old man from tear fuel inhalation.
‘Explosions and gunfire’
An extra 82 folks have been admitted to hospitals with gunshot wounds, Palestinian well being officers mentioned.
Mostafa Shaheen, a Nablus resident, mentioned “soldiers… besieged the whole area” at round 9:30 am (0730 GMT).
“We kept hearing the explosions and gunfire,” he informed AFP.
The wounded embrace Palestine TV journalist Mohammed Al Khatib, who was shot within the hand, his colleague informed AFP.
The Islamic Jihad militant group mentioned one in all its commanders was killed “in a heroic battle”.
The Gaza-based group’s chief Ziad al-Nakhala referred to as the raid a “major crime” that “the resistance must respond to”.
The Lions’ Den, a militant group based mostly in Nablus, mentioned six of these killed have been members of varied Palestinian factions.
Troops withdrew from town after three hours, an AFP journalist mentioned.
Hailing the military’s “courage”, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant mentioned on Twitter that Israel’s “long arm” would attain “any terrorist”.
In the afternoon, an enormous crowd of mourners together with armed males gathered in central Nablus in addition to within the close by Balata refugee camp for the funerals of 10 of these killed, AFP correspondents mentioned.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society mentioned its medics had handled 250 circumstances of tear fuel inhalation and dozens of gunshot wounds.
‘Spiralling violence’
The Arab League mentioned the raid amounted to a “heinous crime”.
“The occupation authorities and the far-right Israeli government are responsible for this horrible massacre,” mentioned Saeed Abu Ali, the League’s assistant secretary-general for Palestinian affairs.
State Department spokesman Ned Price mentioned Washington was “extremely concerned by the levels of violence”.
“We recognise the very real security concerns facing Israel. At the same time, we are deeply concerned by the large number of injuries and the loss of civilian lives.”
The European Union “is deeply alarmed by the spiralling violence in the West Bank,” EU overseas coverage chief Josep Borrell mentioned.
He referred to as on “all parties” to work in the direction of “restoring calm and… avoid further loss of life”.
Condemning the acts of violence dedicated in opposition to civilians, France reiterated Israel’s obligation to respect worldwide humanitarian regulation and use proportionate drive.
“As the violence continues to escalate, it calls on all actors to refrain from any action that could fuel this spiral,” the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned in a press release.
Neighbouring Jordan mentioned it will “work intensely with all parties to achieve” calm.
Since the beginning of this yr, the Israeli-Palestinian battle has claimed the lives of 60 Palestinian adults and youngsters, together with militants and civilians.
Nine Israeli civilians, together with three youngsters, a police officer and one Ukrainian civilian have been killed over the identical interval, based on an AFP tally based mostly on official sources from each side.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and individually with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, calling on each to “restore calm”.
Israel has occupied the Palestinian territory for the reason that Six-Day War of 1967. —Agence France-Presse
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
