Five Palestinians Martyred, Over 20 Injured In ‘Israeli’ Nighttime Raids Across Occupied West Bank

By Staff, Agencies

The ‘Israeli’ occupation forces have carried out a series of raids across the occupied West Bank, during which at least five Palestinians were martyred and over 20 sustained injuries.

The new fatalities took place early Tuesday when the Zionist regime forces attacked several neighborhoods in the Old City of Nablus as well as a town north of Ramallah, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.

The raid on Nablus led to four fatalities among Palestinians while a fifth one was martyred during an attack by the ‘Israeli’ occupation forces on Nabi Saleh town northern Ramallah. The Palestinian martyr in Nabi Saleh was a teenager shot in the chest by ‘Israeli’ forces' live fire, Wafa reported.

According to Palestinian Shehab news agency, the fourth Palestinian martyred during the Nablus raid was one of the leaders of ‘The Lions' Den’ resistance group, identified as Wadih al-Houh, who succumbed to his wounds sustained during the Zionist attack on the Old City of Nablus.

Some 21 Palestinians have been injured in the raids, four of them are in critical condition.

Zaher Jabareen, a member of the Political Bureau of the Hamas resistance movement issued a statement, lamenting the death of Palestinians in the ‘Israeli’ raid on Nablus.

Hamas praised “the heroic resistance fighters" of ‘The Lions' Den’ group “who bravely stand up against the attacks of the occupation forces,” adding, “We call on our people and our resistance fighters to stand up to the occupation and fight it."

According to Wafa news agency, "sounds of shooting and explosions were heard and columns of smoke and flames were seen emanating from several neighborhoods" after ‘Israeli’ occupation forces stormed the Old City of Nablus during early hours of Tuesday, searching for members of ‘The Lions' Den’ resistance group.

Wafa also quoted local sources as saying that the ‘Israeli’ occupation forces dispatched snipers on the rooftops of houses and buildings overlooking the city center and the neighborhoods of the Old City, where they deliberately opened fire at members of the Palestinian security forces, wounding 4 of them.

The Zionist forces even prevented ambulances from reaching the Old City to transport the wounded to hospital.

The new round of aggression came following confrontations between the regime's forces and Palestinians, who were protesting earlier assassination of a senior member of the resistance group.

Tamer Kilani was murdered on Sunday in a bomb attack in Nablus, ‘The Lions’ Den’ has announced.

He was martyred after an explosive device that had been attached to a motorcycle was detonated as Kilani was passing by in Nablus' Old City, which is located approximately 49 kilometers north of the occupied city of al-Quds.

The resistance group has vowed a “painful response.”

The Zionist regime has subjected the entire Nablus to a siege since reported killing of an ‘Israeli’ trooper.

The occupation forces have recently been conducting overnight raids and killings in the northern occupied West Bank, mainly in the cities of Jenin and Nablus, where new groups of Palestinian resistance fighters have been formed.

At least 175 Palestinians have been martyred at the hands of ‘Israeli’ occupation forces in the occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza Strip since the beginning of the year, including 51 Palestinians during the Zionist regime’s three-day assault on Gaza in August, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Local and international rights groups have condemned the Zionist regime’s excessive use of force and “shoot-to-kill policy” against Palestinians.