In a series of overnight raids across the West Bank on July 23, Israeli forces claimed the lives of at least three Palestinians, including two men in Hebron and a woman in Tulkarem, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Some local media, without official confirmation, reported that the death toll in Tulkarem rose to five following an Israeli drone strike. Among the deceased were two senior Islamic officials: Ashraf Nafeh, a Hamas commander in the refugee camp, and Mohamed Abu Abdo, a commander in the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
The Palestinian Red Crescent condemned the actions of Israeli forces, stating that they prevented medical teams from reaching the bombed area to treat the wounded and recover the deceased. This raid triggered clashes between Palestinian militias and the Israeli military, resulting in the death of one woman and injuries to three others, with one in critical condition transported to Thabet Thabet Hospital.
Early in the morning, around 25 Israeli military vehicles, including heavy bulldozers, entered Tulkarem and began tearing down infrastructure. Reports indicated they used rubble to block access to homes and to obstruct alleys in the refugee camp. These operations have caused electricity and water outages in the area, along with disruptions to internet access in both the city and the nearby refugee camp.
While Jenin is often seen as the stronghold of Palestinian militias in the West Bank, Tulkarem and the adjacent Nur Shams refugee camp have become frequent targets of Israeli raids in recent months. The Islamic Jihad claimed that their fighters were engaged in fierce confrontations, successfully hitting enemy positions within the camp.
In another raid in Sa’ir, a town northeast of divided Hebron, two men—Ramez Mohamed al Halayqa, aged 22, and Jihad Mohamed Hussein Shalalda, 39—were killed. Wafa reported that al Halayqa was likely affected by the use of live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas by the Israeli forces. Shalalda died from gunshot wounds sustained when Israeli soldiers opened fire on him.
During this early morning operation, Israeli soldiers entered several Palestinian homes in Sa’ir, detaining multiple individuals, although the exact number of arrests remains unclear.
The violence in the occupied West Bank has escalated significantly since the Second Intifada, with at least 252 Palestinians reported killed by Israeli fire in 2024 alone, many of whom were alleged militants or attackers, but also included civilians, with around 46 of those being minors. The end of 2023 marked the deadliest year in two decades, with over 520 fatalities.
Following the Hamas attack on October 7, the Israeli military intensified its already frequent incursions into the West Bank, leading to at least 580 Palestinian deaths in violent incidents involving Israeli forces since then. Of those, a number were killed by settlers. In 2024, Israel has seen 18 deaths—12 from the military and six civilians, including five settlers.
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