JERUSALEM

An Israeli policeman died of wounds sustained during a military raid near the West Bank city of Tulkarm this weekend, the police said on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Border Police said Chief Inspector Yitav Lev Halevi was shot during a raid in Deir al-Ghusun near Tulkarm on May 4, but succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.

Five Palestinians were killed in the Israeli raid.

Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip that killed more than 34,800 people since last October following a Hamas attack.

At least 498 Palestinians have since been killed and around 4,900 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in January issued an interim ruling that ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar