4 Palestinian women killed in West Bank by debris from projectile

ISTANBUL

Four Palestinian women were killed and six others injured late Wednesday when debris from a projectile struck a beauty salon in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said its crews transported the bodies of those killed and injured to a nearby hospital.

Reports cited security sources in the West Bank as saying that the origin of the projectile has not yet been determined and specialized teams will examine the remnants to identify the source.

The Israeli military issued a statement claiming the incident was caused by an Iranian cluster munition that fell in the area during a recent exchange of fire between Israel and Iran, adding that additional cluster submunitions also landed in nearby areas.

Palestinian officials have not confirmed this assessment and no independent verification has been made.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that missile fragments fell in several locations across Hebron province.

An Anadolu correspondent said loud explosions were heard in the area shortly after sirens sounded and Israel’s Home Front Command announced that missiles had been launched from Iran.

Regional escalations in the Middle East have intensified since Israel and the US launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing around 1,300 people so far, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.