The Israeli army has killed three Palestinian men during a large-scale raid on the Balata refugee camp in the city of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian health ministry identified the three, killed on Monday morning, as Muhammad Abu Zaytoun, 32, Fathi Abu Rizk, 30, and Abdullah Abu Hamdan, 24.
At least seven other Palestinians were injured, including four with live ammunition, and dozens of others suffered tear gas inhalation, according to the ministry.
Hundreds of Palestinians turned out for the funeral procession on Monday afternoon for the three men killed.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for the Palestinian Authority (PA) presidency, described Monday’s raid as a “massacre”.
“The continuous aggression on the city of Nablus, its villages and refugee camps by the occupation forces and extremist settlers, is a major war crime and collective punishment that must end immediately,” he said in a statement.
“The US administration’s silence on the occupation’s crimes encourages it to persist in its aggression,” continued Abu Rudeineh, warning that such attacks “will drag the region towards explosion.”
Hundreds of Israeli soldiers and special forces participated in the raid that began at about 1am (22:00 GMT on Sunday) and continued until 5am (02:00 GMT).
Israeli forces blockaded the camp’s entrances with bulldozers and demolished some homes. They also damaged some units, according to residents, who also alleged the use of anti-tank grenades.
