Jerusalem, Feb 22 (EFE).- At least six Palestinians have been killed during an arrest raid conducted by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
More than 70 were injured, six of them critically, in the incursion that sparked clashes in the city of Nablus, a stronghold for Palestinian armed resistance since last year, the Palestinian health ministry confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dead included an elderly man, who was identified as 72-year-old Adnan Baara by a ministry spokesman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heavy clashes broke out after a large number of Israeli troops stormed the old city of Nablus and gathered around a house, Wafa news agency said, adding that soldiers threw tear gas and stun grenades at homes and shops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe crime committed by the occupation forces in the city of Nablus today reaffirms the importance of our demand that the international community must act immediately to stop the Israeli crimes against our people, their land and their sanctities, and stop the unilateral Israeli measures,\u201d Palestinian presidency spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abu Rudeineh urged the United States \u201cto take immediate action and put effective pressure on the Israeli government to stop its crimes and continuous aggression against our people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Israeli army confirmed forces were operating in Nablus but gave no further information on what the raid has resulted in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wednesday\u2019s incident comes amid an escalation of violence in the region that has left 62 dead so far this year: 55 Palestinians \u2013 an average of more than one a day \u2013 and 11 people on the Israeli side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It comes after a Palestinian killed seven people in an Israeli settlement in occupied East Jerusalem on January 27, the deadliest attack on Israelis in more than a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That attack also came in response to a bloody Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank, in which 10 Palestinians, including militiamen and civilians, were killed. EFE<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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