Israeli forces raid a West Bank hospital, killing three Palestinians

Updated January 30, 2024 at 1:45 PM ET

Israeli military and security forces disguised as civilians and hospital staff raided a hospital in the West Bank city of Jenin early Tuesday morning, killing three Palestinians who they say were militants.

In a statement, the Israeli military said one of the people belonged to Hamas and was planning an imminent attack "inspired by the events of October 7."

The head of surgery at Ibn Sina Hospital, Dr. Tawfiq al-Shawbaky, told NPR that the man was a patient, paralyzed and using a wheelchair.

The hospital said that its CCTV footage showed armed Israeli gunmen dressed as hospital staff and Arab civilians, which the Israeli military confirmed to NPR.

"They raided one of the floors in the hospital and attacked the hospital staff," al-Shawbaky said. "They raided one of the patients' rooms and killed him, and the people who were in the room with him, his brother and friend."

The United Nations has reported a rise in Israeli raids in the West Bank since Oct. 7, and expressed concern at the escalation. The U.N. says that over 360 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since Oct. 7, and that six Israelis have also been killed.

Al-Shawbaky, the surgeon at Ibn Sina, said that hospitals need to be a red line.

"There should be some actions to stop the invasion and the surrounding of hospitals during any IDF operation," he said.

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