At least six people, including two children, were killed in the West Bank following an Israeli airstrike and a settler attack, according to reports from the Palestinian health ministry. The airstrike targeted a refugee camp located in the Nur Shams area near Tulkarm, with Israeli forces stating that the strike focused on a "terror cell command room."

The health ministry also reported a fatal incident near Bethlehem, where a man was shot and killed during an attack by Israeli settlers. Three others sustained injuries in the same event. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are currently investigating these reports.

Tensions have escalated across the West Bank following the outbreak of war in Gaza, which began after an October 7th attack in southern Israel carried out by Hamas. According to the UN, 128 Palestinians, including 26 children, have died in Israeli airstrikes in the West Bank since the conflict started. In total, 607 Palestinians have lost their lives in the region, including East Jerusalem, with 11 deaths attributed to Israeli settlers.

The violence has also claimed the lives of 15 Israelis, including nine soldiers and five settlers, in attacks carried out by Palestinians in the West Bank. An additional 10 Israelis were killed in attacks launched from the West Bank into Israel.

In the most recent airstrike, Palestinian sources reported that an Israeli drone targeted a house within the Nur Shams camp on Monday night, causing four powerful explosions. The health ministry identified the five victims as Mohannad Qarawi, 19, Jibril Jibril, 20, Adnan Jaber, 15, Mohammed Yusif, 49, and Mohammed Elayyan, 16. One of the victims, Jibril Jibril, had been previously imprisoned in Israel and was released in a prisoner exchange deal.

Later that same day, the health ministry reported that a 40-year-old man, Khalil Salem Khalawi, was shot and killed in the Palestinian village of Wadi Rahhal during an attack by Israeli settlers. Three others were injured during this confrontation. Local sources claim that settlers attacked homes near a boys' school and that Israeli forces entered the village to protect the settlers, using tear gas on the residents.

Reports also indicate that Mr. Khalawi, an Israeli Arab, was shot by IDF soldiers who had responded to claims that stones were thrown at an Israeli vehicle. Clashes between settlers and village residents ensued following the incident.

Violence has continued to escalate in the West Bank, with previous reports of fatal settler attacks, including the recent death of a Palestinian man during a raid in the village of Jit. Israel has built approximately 160 settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem since occupying these areas in the 1967 Middle East war. The international community largely considers these settlements illegal under international law, a stance Israel disputes.

Israel’s Iron Dome Intercepts Hezbollah Missiles Amid Escalation Concerns

Israel and Hezbollah Exchange Fire, Avoiding Widespread Conflict