The death toll rose to nine in Israel West Bank raid: Palestinian ministry

• Occupation forces stormed Jenin Government Hospital.
• Palestinian officials accuse Israeli forces of using tear gas.
• The deaths bring the total number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank this year to 29.

JENIN: An Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Thursday killed nine Palestinians, including an elderly woman, according to Palestinian officials, who also accused the forces of using tear gas inside a hospital children’s ward.

The death toll rose to “nine martyrs including an elderly woman,” the health ministry said, with multiple wounded.

In a separate statement, Palestinian health minister Mai al-Kaila charged that “occupation forces stormed Jenin Government Hospital and intentionally fired tear gas canisters at the pediatric department in the hospital”.

The situation in the refugee camp, she said, was “critical,” and Israeli forces were preventing ambulances from reaching the injured.

When asked about the health minister’s tear gas allegation, Israel’s army declined to comment.

Only that “forces are operating in Jenin,” according to the military.

The deaths on Thursday bring the total number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank this year to 29, including fighters and civilians, the majority of whom were shot by Israeli forces.

Jenin deputy governor Kamal Abu al-Rub told that residents were living in a “real state of war”.

“The Israeli army is destroying everything and shooting at anything that moves,” he said, according to sources.

The rising death toll comes on the heels of the deadliest year in Palestinian territory since United Nations records began in 2005.

Also Read

Israeli raid kills four Palestinians and wounded several others

Israeli forces used tear gas canisters. Israel has increased raids. Israeli forces...