The Israeli army confirmed an airstrike on the Tulkarem refugee camp in the northern West Bank on Thursday, describing it as a joint operation involving the Shin Bet internal security service and the air force.
According to reports, the strike killed 18 people, as stated by the Palestinian health ministry. Palestinians on the ground inspected the destruction left by the overnight attack.
The United Nations condemned the attack on Friday, describing it as a “unlawful” use of force by Israeli security forces.
“The strike is part of a deeply concerning pattern of unlawful force by ISF in military operations in the West Bank, which have resulted in widespread harm to Palestinians and significant damage to property and infrastructure,” the UN’s human rights office said.
The UN also criticised Israel’s use of fatal force, characterising it as “frequently unnecessary, disproportionate, and therefore unlawful,” and urged for an independent investigation into the incident.
“Destroying an entire building filled with people via aerial bombing shows a blatant disregard for Israel’s obligations under international law,” according to the United Nations.
The Israeli military confirmed that the airstrike targeted and killed Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, a Hamas leader in Tulkarem.
A source within Palestinian security services told media that the raid was the deadliest in the West Bank since 2000.