An Iranian missile strike in the occupied West Bank killed three Palestinian women, marking the first deadly attack on Palestinians in the territory since the regional conflict began.

JERUSALEM: Three Palestinian women were killed in an Iranian missile attack in the occupied West Bank late on Wednesday. The Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed the deaths, marking the first deadly Iranian strike in the territory since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

The missile struck a hair salon in the town of Beit Awwa, southwest of Hebron. The Palestinian Authority’s official news agency WAFA reported that six other women were wounded, with one in serious condition.

The Israeli military said it understood the strike was caused by a cluster munition. This type of warhead splits into tiny bomblets that scatter over a wide area.

At least 14 people have been killed in Israel since it and the US launched attacks on Iran at the end of February. The strikes sparked a wider regional conflict, with Iran now sending daily missiles towards Israel.

There had been no previous reports of Iran deliberately targeting Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. Most Israelis have access to bomb shelters that protect them from cluster munitions and falling debris.

Virtually no such shelters exist for Palestinians in the West Bank. Many rely on the sound of sirens from Jewish settlements or neighbouring Israeli cities to alert them to rocket volleys.

The settlements are built on land captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Most world powers regard them as illegal, a claim Israel denies while asserting a biblical birthright to the land.

The streets in the West Bank have been packed in recent days as families purchase sweets and presents for Eid al-Fitr. The holiday marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

 The Sun Malaysia