ZEITA, West Bank (AP) — An Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in the occupied West Bank resulted in the deaths of five Palestinians, as reported by Israel’s army and Palestinian health authorities amidst escalating violence in the region. The Israeli army stated that the strike targeted a vehicle carrying five militants in a rural area northwest of Tulkarem in the northern West Bank early Saturday morning. The Health Ministry later confirmed that the five men were killed in the attack and taken to a nearby hospital in Tulkarem.
An Associated Press journalist and witnesses reported that the explosion occurred along a road linking the Palestinian villages of Zeita and Qaffin. “I was going to work in the morning and I heard an explosion here next to the house,” said Taiser Abdullah, a resident of Zeita.
The official Palestinian news agency Wafa mentioned that four of the bodies were severely burnt and charred from the blast. The ongoing violence in the northern West Bank has been particularly intense over the last 10 months, with Tulkarem being a hotspot frequently targeted by Israeli forces.
The recent strike comes after the consecutive assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut, leading to heightened tensions in the region and threats of retaliation from Iran and its proxies. Major airlines have canceled flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut, further escalating the situation.
Amidst these developments, the Pentagon announced the deployment of a fighter jet squadron to the Middle East and the maintenance of an aircraft carrier in the region. President Joe Biden has called for a ceasefire with Hamas and expressed concerns over the impact of recent events on peace negotiations in the region.
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war triggered by Hamas’ attack on Israel nearly 10 months ago, over 39,480 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Jeffery reported from Ramallah, West Bank.
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