Israeli forces kill Palestinian in raid on Tulkarm refugee camp

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man and wounded at least four others during an overnight raid on a refugee camp north of the occupied West Bank. 

The raid was carried out late on Thursday night at Tulkarm camp, one of the most densely populated refugee camps in the occupied territories. 

Israeli security officers shot and killed Mahmoud Jihad Jarad, 23, according to medical sources cited by Wafa news agency.

Jarad was admitted to nearby Thabet Thabet hospital in a critical condition after being shot by a live bullet to the chest, the sources said. 

Fatah, which governs the occupied West Bank, said Jarad was a member of its movement but did not claim him as a fighter, according to Reuters. 

At least four others were wounded during the raid, sustaining injuries to the abdomen, pelvis, foot and shoulder. One of those wounded was in a critical state, Wafa reported. 

Tulkarm camp, which is built on an area of just 0.18 square kilometres, was established in 1950.

It houses over 27,228 people officially registered with the UN refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA). The actual number of inhabitants in the camp is likely to be higher. 

Nur Shams, another camp near the city of Tulkarm, is home to 13,519 Palestinian refugees officially registered by the UNRWA. 

Middle East Eye believes at least 210 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire this year, including 36 children - a rate of nearly one fatality per day.

A total of 174 people have died in the West Bank and East Jerusalem this year, making 2023 one of the bloodiest years in the occupied Palestinian territories. Another 36 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Palestinians have killed 26 Israelis in the same period, including six children.