5 killed as Israel mounts new military assault in occupied West Bank

An Israeli airstrike has killed at least five people in the occupied West Bank city of Tubas.

Palestinian Wafa news agency reported that the Wednesday strike killed five young men near a mosque.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said rescue crews had recovered five bodies at the site and had transferred them to hospital.

The report said that Israeli forces had closed all entrances to Tubas and was inspecting ambulance before allowing them to enter a local hospital.

Israeli military vehicles, including road diggers and armored personnel carriers, could be seen moving through the city, close to the border with Jordan at the northern end of the West Bank.

Israeli forces have been conducting a series of military assaults in the northern West Bank for the past two weeks, with extended raids in Tubas, Jenin and Tulkarm. 

Streets and infrastructure in all three cities have suffered extensive damage as Israeli forces have dug up roads and targeted resistance bases.