2 Palestinians killed in Israeli attack in West Bank: sources

RAMALLAH, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) — At least two Palestinians were killed and another injured in an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in Jenin, northern West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said Saturday.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in a press statement said that the bodies of two young men were transferred to the government hospital in the city.
The statement identified one of the deceased as Raafat Dawasi, 28, while the identity of the second body remains unknown.
Wissam Bakar, director of Jenin government hospital, told Xinhua that medical teams had difficulty identifying the bodies because they were delivered as charred remains.
Bakar added that one person sustained moderate injuries from shrapnel, and was transported to the hospital for treatment.
Palestinian security sources reported that an Israeli drone fired a missile at a vehicle at the Al-Bateekha roundabout in the city, causing it to catch fire and be completely destroyed, with a loud explosion shaking the area.
Meanwhile, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said in a statement that an aircraft struck a cell of militants in the Jenin area, without providing additional details about the targets’ status or identities.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, the West Bank has witnessed escalating tension and armed confrontations in various cities, villages, and camps, leading to the deaths of more than 630 Palestinians, according to the Ministry of Health. ■