Israeli forces have killed three Palestinian militants in a raid on a hospital in the occupied West Bank, where violence has surged since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
The Israeli military said forces entered the Ibn Sina hospital in the northern city of Jenin early Tuesday where they shot and killed the three men, whom Hamas claimed as their members. The military said the men were using the hospital as a hideout and that at least one man was planning an attack. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the Israeli forces opened fire inside the hospital’s wards and called on the international community to stop Israeli operations in hospitals.
Despite the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Gaza Strip, some countries have paused funding for the United Nations aid agency for Palestinians amid accusations that 12 of its roughly 13,000 employees in Gaza were involved in the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war. The Hamas attack killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. About 250 people were abducted, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, most of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths.
Cease-fire talks are ongoing, but Israel has said “ significant gaps ” remain in any potential agreement. The talks are meant to bring about some respite to Gaza and secure the release of more than 100 Israeli hostages still held by militants.
Currently:
— A Palestinian is killed while with a group waving a white flag. Israel says it will look into it.
— An enemy drone that killed American troops in Jordan was mistaken for a U.S. drone, a preliminary report suggests.
— Document spells out allegations against 12 U.N. employees Israel says participated in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.
— Israel military operation destroys a Gaza cemetery. Israel says Hamas used the site to hide a tunnel.
— Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
Here’s the latest:
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israeli forces have killed three Palestinian militants in a raid on a hospital in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military said forces entered the Ibn Sina hospital in the northern city of Jenin early Tuesday where they shot and killed the three men, whom Hamas claimed as their members. The military said the men were using the hospital as a hideout and that at least one man was planning an attack.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said the Israeli forces opened fire inside the hospital’s wards and called on the international community to stop Israeli operations in hospitals.
The West Bank has seen a surge of violence since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. More than 380 Palestinians have been killed, most in confrontations with Israeli forces during arrest raids or violent protests. Israel has arrested nearly 3,000 in its crackdown on militancy in the territory since Oct. 7.
Israeli troops have also targeted hospitals in Gaza, where the military says militants hide or operate from. Those raids have further threatened a health care system in the embattle territory that is struggling to cope with the fallout from the war.