At least 10 Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus.
At least 102 people were injured on Wednesday – 82 hit by live ammunition, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Six were in critical condition.
Widespread confrontations broke out soon after the army stormed Nablus with dozens of armoured vehicles and special forces at 10am (08:00 GMT).
The army blocked off all entrances to the city before surrounding a home with two wanted Palestinian fighters, Hossam Isleem and Mohammad Abdulghani, who were both killed.
The Lions’ Den armed group said in a statement it engaged in clashes with Israeli forces during the raid, alongside the recently announced Balata Brigades. Young Palestinians pelted armoured troop transports with rocks.
The Israeli army said “security forces are now operating in the city of Nablus” but did not provide further details.
Reporting from Nablus, Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim said witnesses described Israeli soldiers opening fire indiscriminately.
“We are hearing stories that Israeli forces were shooting at the neighbours, people in their houses, people going about their daily lives. Palestinians say Israel is acting this way because it is not being held accountable and has a freehand killing Palestinians.”
Nablus and nearby Jenin have been the focus of violent incursions that Israel has intensified over the last year. The cities are where “the concentration of armed resistance is growing”, according to Palestinian journalist Mariam Barghouti of the news site Mondoweiss.
“Even though it is expanding to other areas of the West Bank, the Lion’s Den and the Jenin Brigade continue to be the epicentre of Palestinian armed resistance and new youth groups fighting, which is why they have become a target,” said Barghouti.-Al Jazeera
