At least 13 Palestinians were reported killed on Saturday, including five children, in an Israeli military operation including airstrikes that lasted 28 hours in the Nur Shams refugee camp, north of the occupied West Bank.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said it was forced to suspend services including schools, health and solid waste collection.  

Adam Bouloukos, Director of UNRWA in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) said one Israeli soldier was also killed, and scores of others were injured.  

Initial assessments indicate that nearly 50 Palestinian homes were damaged, some severely, while roads, electricity, water, internet and sewage networks in the camp were impacted.

UNRWA said these latest events are emblematic of the continued escalation risking the lives of Palestine Refugees in camps across the West Bank. This recent operation is the largest since Jenin in July this year.  

This year already recorded over 270 Palestinians killed in the West Bank, 20 per cent of whom were children, and over half of whom were refugees. This figure represents the highest number killed in a single year since UNRWA routinely started collecting the data in 2012. 

The Agency warned that these latest events in Nur Shams camp are likely to further inflame already heightened tensions given the conflict in Gaza.

UN data indicates that at least 82 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank alone only since 7 October.