Health officials report 15 Palestinians killed in Israeli forces raid and settler violence across the West Bank

Israeli forces carried out a deadly raid in the occupied West Bank, resulting in the deaths of 14 Palestinians, Palestinian authorities reported. The raid, which began in the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm, involved intense exchanges of fire that lasted well into Saturday.

The Tulkarm Brigades, a coalition of Palestinian factions, confirmed that their fighters engaged with Israeli forces during the raid. The West Bank has been a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since it was seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

In a separate incident, an ambulance driver was killed by Israeli gunfire as he was en route to pick up wounded individuals from an attack by Jewish settlers near the village of Al-Sawiya. The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israeli strikes continued despite the withdrawal of most combat forces earlier in the month. The death toll in Gaza surpassed 34,000, with strikes hitting various areas including Rafah, Nuseirat, and Jabalia. In Rafah, a pregnant woman was badly wounded in a strike on her house, but doctors were able to save her baby.

The Israeli military reported engaging in raids in central Gaza, resulting in close-quarter combat with Palestinian fighters. Overall, Israeli strikes in Gaza claimed the lives of 37 Palestinians and injured 68 in the past 24 hours.

The situation remains tense as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces international opposition to plans to attack Rafah, where the last organized brigades of Hamas are believed to be located.