The Israeli military announced the air attack on Friday in the Jenin governorate hit a vehicle with what it claimed 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 happened just before Israeli forces stormed Qabatiya and began “sweeping operations”.
The air attack 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 about 50 others, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah.
In addition to the loss of life, the operation in the northern West Bank – launched just two days after the truce agreed between Israel and Hamas in Gaza – has caused widespread destruction.
Israeli armoured bulldozers and diggers have demolished houses and dug up roads in the Jenin area and forced the displacement of about 2,000 families.
A United Nations spokesperson on Friday warned against the “deteriorating” situation in the West Bank and called on Israel to protect Palestinians.
During a media briefing, Farhan Haq stated the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) “warns once again that lethal, warlike tactics are being applied, raising concerns over use of force that exceeds law enforcement standards”.
Earlier, Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed grave concerns about the use of disproportionate and unlawful force in Jenin, warning of the potential for widespread human rights violations.
Al-Kheetan emphasised the international community’s responsibility to hold Israel accountable for these actions.