Israeli Strikes Hit Gaza After Deadly West Bank Raid, Raising Fears of Escalation

Israeli forces carried out a pre-dawn counter-terrorism operation in the Tulkarm refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank on Monday, the Israeli military said, and Palestinian health officials reported at least seven people were killed and several wounded. Israeli troops said “armed terrorists barricaded themselves in a structure and opened fire at the forces,” and that soldiers returned fire, while the Palestinian Red Crescent said ambulances were prevented from reaching the area during the operation. The raid, which local officials said lasted several hours, immediately reverberated beyond the West Bank. The Israeli military said militants in Gaza launched at least three rockets toward Israel after the Tulkarm operation. In response, Israeli aircraft struck what the military described as Hamas military infrastructure in the Gaza Strip; no casualties from those air strikes were reported immediately by Gaza health authorities. Monday’s violence comes amid an already heightened and deadly period across both Gaza and the West Bank since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza. Gaza health authorities say the offensive has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians, and Palestinian health officials report that more than 300 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since Oct. 7. Israeli officials say at least 15 Israelis have been killed in West Bank attacks during the same period. Israel maintains its West Bank operations are aimed at preventing attacks and dismantling militant networks; Palestinians and rights groups describe the raids as collective punishment and violations of international law. The latest exchanges underline the volatile, interlinked dynamics between West Bank operations and Gaza-based military groups. Analysts and rights organizations have repeatedly warned that raids in the West Bank can provoke rocket fire from Gaza, and vice versa, creating a cycle that places civilians across the territories and in Israel at heightened risk. International bodies, including the United Nations and several rights groups, have criticized Israel’s conduct in both theatres, calling for restraint and investigations into alleged excessive use of force. Beyond the immediate military and humanitarian toll, the incident raises broader political and legal questions. Continued raids in densely populated refugee camps, restrictions on medical access during operations, and retaliatory strikes all contribute to mounting pressure on international mediators and governments to step up diplomatic engagement. Observers say without measures to reduce tensions and protect civilians, such incidents risk entrenching a prolonged cycle of violence with severe humanitarian consequences for people across the occupied territories.