AL-QUDS (Dispatches) –
Zionist troops killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Monday, Palestinian resistance factions and medics said.
Tensions have been running high as Muslims mark the Ramadan holy fast month during a surge in violence by the occupying regime.
The latest shootings happened during a raid by the Zionist military in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that confrontations broke out soon after Zionist troops stormed Nablus, located approximately 49 kilometers (30 miles) north of Al-Quds, in the early hours of Monday, with dozens of armored vehicles and special forces.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health later identified the martyrs as Muhammad Nasser Saeed and Muhammad Abu Bakr Junaidi.
The victims sustained serious gunshot wounds as Palestinian resistance fighters engaged in clashes with the regime troops during the raid. Witnesses described the regime’s troops opening fire indiscriminately.
Ahmed Jibril, director of ambulance and emergency services at the Palestine Red Crescent Society in Nablus, said the pair were transported to Rafidia Surgical Hospital and Nablus Speciality Hospital, where they were pronounced dead shortly afterward.
He added that Zionist troops raided Nablus Speciality Hospital with poisonous gas bombs.
Jibril noted that at least 55 Palestinians suffered breathing difficulties due to inhaling tear gas.
The Gaza-based Hamas resistance movement said, “There is no way to confront the occupying Israeli regime other than resistance and an increase in retaliatory measures.”
“Monday morning’s deaths, which bring the number of Palestinians killed since the start of the year to 95, clearly indicate the rise in the criminal policy of the Israeli enemy and its widespread exercise of murder and assassination,” Hamas said.
It also stressed that the surge in the Zionist regime’s crimes and its utter disregard for Palestinian lives necessitate stronger retaliatory measures against Zionist troops and extremist settlers.
Meanwhile, Zionist troops removed Palestinian worshippers from Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Al-Quds as they observed the holy month of Ramadan on Sunday overnight.
Dozens of worshippers stayed at the Qibli prayer hall - the building with the silver dome - to practice Itikaf after tens of thousands attended the earlier Taraweeh night prayer.
Itikaf is a non-mandatory religious practice that is common in Ramadan whereby worshippers stay at mosques overnight to pray, reflect and recite the Qur’an.
Videos shared by worshippers showed Zionist troops entering the prayer hall just before 11 pm local time and escorting everyone out.