Israeli Forces Raid Refugee Camp, Killing Six Palestinians

Israel's forces raided a refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank, killing at least six Palestinians, Palestinian health authorities said early Wednesday. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, an Israeli drone strike hit a group of Palestinians in the Nur Shams refugee camp next to the town of Tulkarem.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said six bodies have been brought to the Thabet Thabet hospital. The Palestinian Red Crescent accused Israeli forces of disrupting ambulances transporting the dead and wounded.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Violence has surged in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war started Oct. 7. At least 310 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since Oct. 7, according to the health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths.

Elsewhere, Israeli forces on Tuesday expanded their ground offensive into urban refugee camps in central Gaza after bombarding the crowded Palestinian communities and ordering residents to evacuate. Gaza's main telecom provider announced another "complete interruption" of services in the besieged territory.

The military's announcement of the new battle zone threatens further destruction in a war that Israel says will last for "many months" as it vows to crush the ruling Hamas militant group after its Oct. 7 attack. Israeli forces have been engaged in heavy urban fighting in northern Gaza and the southern city of Khan Younis, driving Palestinians into ever-smaller areas in search of refuge.

And the U.S. said Israel's minister for strategic affairs, Ron Dermer, met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan to discuss topics including transitioning to a different phase of the war to maximize focus on high-value Hamas targets, improving the humanitarian situation, and planning for governance and security in Gaza after the war.

Despite U.S. calls for Israel to curb civilian casualties and international pressure for a cease-fire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military was deepening the fighting.

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"We say to the Hamas terrorists: We see you and we will get to you," said a government official.

Israel's offensive is causing widespread devastation. Over 20,900 Palestinians, including two-thirds women and children, have been killed, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, whose count doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants.

The United Nations human rights office reported that the ongoing bombardment of middle Gaza has resulted in the deaths of more than 100 Palestinians since Christmas Eve. It was also noted that Israel had ordered some residents to move there.

The Israeli military confirmed the deaths of two more soldiers on Monday, bringing the total killed since the ground offensive began to 161.

The United Nations has appointed an outgoing Dutch finance minister as its humanitarian coordinator for Gaza, following last week's Security Council resolution calling for aid to be delivered to the territory.

Sigrid Kaag's appointment comes at a time when Gaza is facing a dire humanitarian emergency and aid delivery has been severely affected by Israel's relentless bombing of the densely populated strip.

The Israeli government has announced that it will no longer automatically grant visas to employees of the United Nations (U.N.). The government has accused the U.N. of being "complicit partners" in the tactics of Hamas. Israel will now consider visa requests on a case-by-case basis, which could further limit aid efforts in Gaza.