One Palestinian killed, eight wounded in Israeli raid on West Bank refugee camp

One Palestinian was killed and at least eight others wounded Friday when Israeli forces raided the Tulkarm refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

Mahmoud Jihad Jarad, 24, was pronounced dead after being shot in the chest. He will be buried later on Friday.

After storming the camp, Israeli soldiers were deployed on the rooves of buildings and entrances to Tulkarm, leading to clashes with the camp’s residents and fighters lasting for at least three hours, local sources said.

Gunfire could be heard in videos shared online.

اشتباكات مسلحة مع قوات الاحتلال في مخيم طولكرم pic.twitter.com/1S8Smbmlvo

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) August 10, 2023

The Quds Brigade – Tulkarm Battalion, which is affiliated to the Islamic Jihad, said its fighters attacked "the occupation forces on several axes inside the camp with heavy gunfire in response to the brutal aggression and the targeting of civilians."

الشهيد | محمود جهاد جراد
العُمــــر | 23 عامًا
التاريخ | 11 - 08 - 2023
المكــان |مخيم طولكرم

حساب شهداء فلسطين على تيليجرام
📳 https://t.co/rBgWQ3vnBt pic.twitter.com/mJMva9ZCiB

— شهداء فلسطين (@Pal_Shaheed) August 11, 2023

In a statement published on their website, the 'Rapid Response – Tulkarm Brigade' affiliated with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade called on Palestinian security services "to commit to the Palestinian constitution and protect the Palestinian people from any harm."

Since the beginning of the year, more than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in intensified raids on the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem or in bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

In July alone, at least 27 Palestinians, including six children, were killed.

Israeli violence against Palestinians has intensified since the hardline government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to power at the end of 2022.