5 killed in drone attack in the West Bank

At least five people have been killed in an Israeli airstrike in the northern West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Tuesday.

The Israeli Army announced that a control room belonging to Palestinian militants in the refugee camp of Nur Shams had been bombed.

According to Palestinian reports, a drone fired several shells at a group of people during the incident late on Monday evening.

Separately, an Israeli Arab has reportedly been shot dead after Israeli settlers entered a Palestinian village in the southern West Bank.

There were conflicting reports about the exact sequence of events leading to the fatal incident. Palestinian media reported that the approximately 40-year-old man was shot by settlers.

According to Israeli media, however, it was soldiers who allegedly fired the shots. Four Palestinians were injured, according to the reports.

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The Israeli news site, ynet reported that the settlers entered the village south of Bethlehem following allegations that Palestinians had thrown stones at Israeli vehicles in the region.

Other reports, however, claim that stones were first thrown by settlers at Palestinian vehicles. An Israeli army spokesman said on Tuesday morning they are investigating the incident, which occurred during the night.

The situation in the West Bank has worsened significantly since the start of the Gaza war following the Hamas massacre on Oct. 7, 2023.

Since then, 624 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli military operations, confrontations or their attacks in the West Bank, according to the Ministry of Health.

Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians also increased during this period.