TULKAREM: The death toll climbed on Thursday as Israel pressed a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank for a second day, despite UN concerns it is "fuelling an already explosive situation".
The operation was launched as violence raged on in the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by the war that erupted after October 7 attack on Israel.
Israel began coordinated raids in the northern West Bank cities of Jenin, Tubas and Tulkarem early on Wednesday.
Columns of Israeli armoured vehicles backed by troops and warplanes were sent in before soldiers encircled refugee camps in Tubas and Tulkarem, as well as Jenin, and exchanged fire with Palestinians.
The army said it killed seven Palestinians on Thursday, bringing to 16 the death toll reported by the Israeli military since the launch of the West Bank operation.
The Palestinian health ministry earlier reported that 15 Palestinians had been killed since the beginning of the operation.
A military statement said five Palestinians were killed on Thursday in the Tulkarem refugee camp, including Muhammad Jaber, also known as Abu Shujaa.
The violence has caused significant destruction, especially in Tulkarem, whose governor described the raids as "unprecedented" and a "dangerous signal".
AFPTV footage showed bulldozers ripping up the asphalt from streets in the city. Widespread damage was reported to infrastructure. Witnesses said the Israeli forces had withdrawn from Al Farra refugee camp in Tubas where several Palestinians were killed on Wednesday.
An AFP journalist said clashes were taking place in Jenin, where a drone was seen flying overhead and the streets were empty. Another said Israeli soldiers were operating in Tulkarem.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Club said at least 45 people had been arrested in the West Bank since the start of the Israeli operation.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, in a statement, called for an "immediate cessation of these operations".
He condemned the use of air strikes on civilian targets and "the loss of lives, including of children".
"These dangerous developments are fuelling an already explosive situation in the occupied West Bank and further undermining the Palestinian Authority," the statement said.
Iran's foreign ministry condemned the operation in the West Bank, describing it as a "continuation of the genocide in the Gaza Strip".
The United Nations on Wednesday said at least 637 Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank by Israeli troops or settlers since October 7.
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