Israel claims to have killed two Hamas members in strike on vehicle in Tulkarem

Israel claims to have killed two Hamas members in a strike which targeted a vehicle in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, killing two young men who were inside the car.

The strike reportedly hit outside the entrance to the Nour Shams refugee camp.

The Israeli Air Force confirmed the attack on Monday, claiming that they eliminated Hamas member Ihab Abu Atiwi alongside another unnamed member of the Palestinian armed organisation.

The two men were as killed as Israel’s large-scale military raid in the Jenin continued into its seventh day, in addition to a new raid reported in Tulkarem on Monday.

At least 15 people have reportedly been killed in the campaign since Tuesday that Israel says is aimed at cracking down on Palestinian militant groups.

It comes as Israel began allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return on Monday to the heavily destroyed northern Gaza Strip for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas.

The UN said over 200,000 people were observed moving north in Gaza on Monday morning alone, in accordance with a fragile ceasefire.

The ceasefire is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas and securing the release of dozens of hostages captured in the militants’ 7 October attack, which triggered the fighting.

Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are also set to be freed in the exchange.