RAMALLAH, Palestine

An Israeli drone strike killed two Palestinians near Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, the Palestinian news agency Wafa said Wednesday.

The drone struck a car in the Izbat al-Haj Masoud area, resulting in the vehicle being completely engulfed in flames, it said.​​​​​​​

The Israeli army imposed a curfew Wednesday in the West Bank city of Tubas and displaced dozens of families in Tulkarem amid a major military operation in the area, according to local officials.

Tension has been running high across the West Bank amid Israel’s devastating military offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 41,000 victims, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7.

At least 701 victims have since been killed and more than 5,700 injured by Israeli fire in the West Bank, according to the Health Ministry.

The escalation followed a landmark opinion by the International Court of Justice on July 19 that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala