3 Palestinians killed in Israeli fire in northern occupied West Bank

A ministry statement identified the slain citizens in Kafr Qud town of northern Jenin as Abdullah Jalamneh, 27; Qais Al-Bitawi, 21; and Ahmad Nasherati, 29.

The official news agency Wafa, citing local sources, said Israeli forces raided the town with military reinforcements, surrounded an area of agricultural land, and opened fire on three young men.

The Israeli forces seized the bodies of the deceased men, reported Wafa.

Following the gunfire, the Israeli army struck a vehicle in the same area, sparking a fire that also engulfed several olive trees, Wafa added.

Earlier on Tuesday, witnesses told Anadolu they heard gunfire near Kafr Qud, followed by an Israeli airstrike on a cave and a vehicle in the same area.

They added that Israeli forces removed the bodies from the site.

The Israeli army confirmed the attack, claiming it targeted "a terrorist cell." It said three people were killed, including one in the airstrike, and one was injured.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, this is the first Israeli airstrike in the occupied West Bank in nine months.

Since January, the Israeli army has been conducting large-scale military operations in northern West Bank refugee camps, which have resulted in the killing and wounding of dozens of Palestinians, the displacement of all the residents, and widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure.

Israeli attacks have escalated across the occupied West Bank since October 2023, killing more than 1,059 Palestinians and injuring 10,300 others, according to Palestinian figures.

Separately, the Israeli army destroyed two homes for Palestinians in Shuqba town of western Ramallah in the central West Bank on claims of lacking a building permit, local councilor Tim Shalash told Anadolu.

Shalash said that the destroyed houses had been built on private land.

He added that four houses have already been demolished in the town since the beginning of this year by the Israeli army under the same pretext.

According to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Israel has carried out 1,014 demolitions across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October 2023. These demolitions have affected 3,679 structures, including 1,288 inhabited homes, 244 uninhabited homes, and 962 agricultural facilities.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.