Israeli forces kill a Palestinian family, including two children, in the West Bank, with conflicting accounts from Palestinian and Israeli authorities.

TAMMUN: Israeli forces shot dead four members of a Palestinian family, including two young children, in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian health ministry reported that the victims were a 37-year-old man, his 35-year-old wife, and their two sons, aged five and seven.

All four had gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the Turkish Public Hospital in Tubas.

The Palestinian Red Crescent recovered the bodies from a vehicle that had been fired upon in the northern town of Tammun.

In a joint statement, the Israeli military and police said troops opened fire during an operation after a vehicle accelerated toward them.

“Forces perceived an immediate threat to their safety and responded with gunfire,” the statement said.

It confirmed four Palestinians in the vehicle were killed and noted the incident was under review.

The Palestinian WAFA news agency reported the couple’s two other children, aged eight and 11, were wounded by shrapnel in the same incident.

Violence in the West Bank has escalated sharply since the Gaza war began in October 2023.

Palestinian authorities and the UN report a spike in deadly attacks by Israeli settlers since the start of the war.

At least six Palestinians have been killed by settlers since the beginning of March.

An AFP tally based on Palestinian figures shows at least 1,045 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the Gaza war started.

Official Israeli figures state 45 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during military operations in the same period.

More than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements considered illegal under international law.

 The Sun Malaysia