Nablus: IOF Continues Ravaging West Bank Cities

Death Toll Climbs to Four Palestinians as IOF Continues Ravaging West Bank Cities

NABLUS, Palestine - - In what have developed to be a large scale military offensive on West Bank cities, especially the battered city of Nablus and its Balata refugee camp, the Palestinian death toll in the camp climbed to four citizens, including two children, as the Israeli occupying forces (IOF) continue rampaging through the camp.

IPC correspondent mentioned that an elderly Palestinian citizen, Nazmi Aziz, 62, died today evening of a heart attack in Balata refugee camp when the Israeli soldiers blasted open the front door of his house without prior notice, under the false pretext of searching for "wanted" Palestinian resistance activists.

Neighbors of Aziz rushed him to the nearest hospital where he was pronounced dead. Hospital officials told IPC's that Aziz would have been rescued if he got to the hospital faster, but the occupation measures on the camp and Nablus City hindered his arrival to the hospital.

With the death of Aziz, the number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank during the last few days rose to four, including two children.

Meanwhile in the city of Jenin, the Israeli occupying forces invaded from the early morning hours the eastern part of the city.

Palestinian security sources told IPC's that more than 20 Israeli military vehicles supported by combat helicopters invaded the eastern part of Jenin City, opening heavy and indiscriminate gunfire at Palestinian citizens and their properties. The Israeli invasion of the city continues until this moment, as five casualties and one arrested citizen were reported so far.

Medical sources in Jenin confirmed that five Palestinian citizens, including two children, were wounded by IOF gunfire. The injuries were described as moderate. "IOF opened fire at a time when schoolchildren were returning to their homes after school, a thing that led to the injury of several school children," an eyewitness told IPC's.

So far, the Israeli occupying forces has closed the eastern neighborhoods of Jenin entirely, and imposed a tight curfew on them, preventing anyone from entering or leaving the area, even medical crews.

In Hebron governorate, IOF arrested four Palestinian citizens from the town of Taffouh and the city of Hebron.

WAFA news agency reported that IOF raided early this morning the town of Taffouh and conducted a house-to-house search campaign, during which they arrested three Palestinians after wrecking their house furniture.

Additionally, the Israeli troops raided the house of Mohammed Zahdeh in the city and arrested his son Baha'a, 26, and led him into an undisclosed location.

Sources from the Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) said that with today's arrests, the number of Palestinian citizens arrested from the Hebron governorate during the month of December reached 34 citizens.

In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupying forces opened intensive gunfire in the city of Khan Younis, wounding three Palestinian citizens, two of which are UN workers.

Eyewitnesses in the city mentioned that the Israeli soldiers stationed around the Al Toffah military checkpoint and near the illegitimate Jewish settlement of "Neveh Dekalim" opened heavy gunfire at Palestinian workers from the United Nations Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA), who were fixing a nearby water pipe the occupying tanks destroyed in a previous invasion of the area.

The eyewitnesses added that the workers were wearing bright clothes with the UNRWA logo on them, and that the soldiers were able to distinguish these signs without any obstacles. Two UNRWA workers were wounded as well as another bystander.

Officials at Nasser hospital said that the three wounded citizens were in moderate condition, and that their injuries were concentrated in the head and face areas.

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