Tubas Airstrike: Five Palestinians Dead

Five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the occupied West Bank's north, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The strike targeted a group of young men near a mosque in Tubas, and an ambulance crew transferred the bodies to the local hospital. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the strike targeted an "armed terrorist cell" during a counter-terrorism operation in Tubas and nearby Tamun. 

A curfew was declared in Tubas, and the hospital was surrounded, with people only allowed to exit and enter after being checked by forces. Palestinian news agency Wafa reported large-scale raids by Israeli forces in Tubas and Tulkarm, where a military operation continued for a second day. This follows a recent surge in violence, with at least 36 Palestinians killed in a nine-day operation in the Tubas, Tulkarm, and Jenin areas. Most of the dead were claimed by armed groups, but children were also among the victims. An Israeli soldier was also killed in the fighting in Jenin. Additionally, an Israeli man was critically injured in a ramming attack near the Jewish settlement of Givat Assaf, and the attacker was "neutralised" at the scene. Tensions have escalated in the West Bank since October, with over 690 Palestinians killed and 28 Israelis killed in attacks as of September 2, according to the UN.