According to the Israeli military, two soldiers were killed in a car ramming attack in the West Bank

The Israeli military said on Thursday that two soldiers were killed in a car attack in the occupied West Bank. Violence in the West Bank has increased during the war in Gaza as Israel raids Palestinian towns in the territory to crack down on insurgents. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed in the raids.

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians reported heavy fighting in the border town of Rafah on Wednesday and the Israeli military said it had taken control of the entire length of the Gaza-Egypt border.

The fighting in Rafah has already forced more than a million Palestinians to flee, most of whom were already displaced in the war between Israel and Hamas. They are now seeking refuge in makeshift tent camps and other war-torn areas where they lack shelter, food, water and other essentials, the United Nations says. Chinese President Xi Jinping promised more humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza as he opened a summit with Arab leaders in Beijing on Thursday.

According to the Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, more than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombings and ground offensives in the Gaza Strip.

Israel began its war in Gaza after the October 7 Hamas attack, in which militants entered southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people – mostly civilians – and abducting about 250. According to Israel, about 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza, along with the bodies of about 30 others.