Israeli tanks storm West Bank town, fire randomly

Israeli tanks on Sunday stormed the town of Wadi Burqin, west of Jenin in the northern West Bank, firing randomly as part of an ongoing military operation in the city and its refugee camp.

The tanks entered the town from the Jenin camp and fired their machine guns indiscriminately before returning to the camp, witnesses told Anadolu.

Activists shared videos on social media showing the moment of the invasion, with the sound of gunfire heard, while other videos showed the tanks emitting thick smoke. According to witnesses, no injuries were reported from the gunfire.

On Feb. 23, Israeli tanks entered the Jenin camp in the first military escalation of its kind since 2002.

Local media and activists also shared videos showing Palestinian children throwing stones at the tanks.

The escalation came amid a deadly Israeli military onslaught in the northern West Bank since Jan. 21 which has killed more than 66 Palestinians and displaced thousands.

Tension has been running high across the West Bank, where at least 930 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 7,000 injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers since the start of the Oct. 7, 2023 onslaught on the Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's long-standing occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.