The Israeli attack on a vehicle near Qabatiya comes during the ongoing assault on nearby Jenin, which has displaced thousands of people.
An Israeli drone attack on a vehicle near the western town of Qabatiya killed two people, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on the fourth day of a large-scale Israeli operation in and around the neighboring town of Jenin.
The Israeli military said the airstrike Friday in Jenin governorate hit a vehicle with what it said was a “terrorist cell” inside, but it gave no further details.
The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that it was a drone attack that occurred just before Israeli forces stormed Qabatiya and began “sweeping operations.”
The airstrike coincided with the ongoing military operation against Palestinian fighters in Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp, which has already resulted in the deaths of 14 Palestinians and injured around 50 others, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah .
The Israeli army also announced the arrest of 20 people it considers “wanted suspects” and said it had seized weapons.
In addition to the related loss of life, the North West Bank operation – launched just two days after the truce was agreed between Israel and Hamas in Gaza – caused widespread destruction.
Israeli bulldozers and armored diggers demolished homes and dug up roads in the Jenin area and forced the displacement of around 2,000 families.
A United Nations spokesperson on Friday warned of the “deteriorating” situation in the West Bank and called on Israel to protect Palestinians.
At a press conference, Farhan Haq said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) “once again warns that lethal war tactics are being applied, raising concerns about the use of force that exceeds law enforcement standards.
Earlier, Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed serious concerns about the use of disproportionate and unlawful force in Jenin, warning of the potential for widespread violations of human rights.
Al-Kheetan stressed the responsibility of the international community to hold Israel accountable for these actions.