Three Palestinians, including two children, were killed on Wednesday in an Israeli air strike in the occupied West Bank, according to a Palestinian official. The Israeli military stated the operation targeted militants in the area.
Ahmad Assad, governor of Tubas in the northern West Bank, reported that the strike struck the village of Tammun, killing a 23-year-old man and two children aged eight and 10, all members of the same family. The victims were identified as Adam Bsharat, 23, Hamza Bsharat, 10, and Reda Bsharat, who was reported to be either eight or nine years old.
The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the air strike, accusing Israel of targeting civilians under the guise of addressing militant threats.
The Israeli military confirmed that its air force had struck what it described as a “terrorist cell” in the area but did not acknowledge any casualties. Governor Assad stated that Israeli forces had retrieved the bodies of the victims and informed Palestinian authorities of their deaths.
An AFP journalist observed that the family’s home had sustained shrapnel damage from the strike. By midday, Israeli forces had withdrawn from Tammun, the journalist added.
This marks the second air strike in Tammun in two days. On Tuesday, the Israeli military said it targeted an “armed terrorist cell” that had opened fire on troops conducting a raid in the village, killing two people.
Tammun residents reported that Israeli forces took one of the bodies from Tuesday’s strike.
The West Bank, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1967, has seen an escalation in violence since the Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023. Israeli forces have increased operations in the northern West Bank, citing a focus on militants planning attacks.
The Palestinian health ministry reports that at least 825 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the Gaza war began. In the same period, 28 Israelis have died in attacks by Palestinians in the region, according to official Israeli figures.
