The Palestinian health ministry reported that Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian couple and their two young children in the northern West Bank town of Tammun on Saturday. The Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed that its teams recovered the bodies of the man, 37, his wife, 35, and their sons, aged five and seven, after their vehicle came under fire.
The couple’s two other children, aged eight and 11, were injured by shrapnel during the attack. Speaking at the Turkish Public Hospital in Tubas, one of the surviving boys described the shooting. “We came under direct fire, we didn’t know the source. Everyone in the car was martyred, except my brother Mustafa and me,” he said, adding that soldiers pulled him from the vehicle and beat him, shouting, “We killed dogs.”
The Palestinian Health Ministry also reported that a separate attack overnight by Israeli settlers claimed the life of another Palestinian. Palestinian authorities and the United Nations have noted an increase in deadly incidents, particularly involving Israeli settlers, in recent days, with at least five Palestinians killed since the start of March.
The Israeli military stated that its forces had carried out an operation in Tammun to arrest Palestinians suspected of involvement in “terrorist” activities against security personnel. Israeli operations in northern West Bank areas, including Tubas, have continued since November against Palestinian armed groups.
Violence in the West Bank has risen sharply since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which triggered the most recent Gaza war. The escalation has continued despite a ceasefire in Gaza that began on 10 October.
In Gaza, Israeli airstrikes on Saturday killed at least four Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and her son, hospital officials said. The strike hit a house in Nuseirat, a central refugee camp, while a young sibling was injured. Neighbours reported no prior warning before the missile hit.
Earlier, eight Palestinian policemen, including Colonel Iyad Abu Yousef, head of the central governorate police, were killed when an Israeli strike targeted a police vehicle in Zawaida, central Gaza. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital confirmed the fatalities, and Gaza’s Hamas-run interior ministry verified the toll.
According to an AFP tally, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 1,045 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war. While many victims are militants, civilians are also among the dead. Official Israeli figures indicate that 45 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have died during Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations.
The West Bank remains home to roughly three million Palestinians and more than 500,000 Israelis living in settlements and outposts, which are considered illegal under international law. The recent attacks mark a continuing escalation of violence, highlighting the fragility of security in the region.
