Conflicts & War

2nd Palestinian killed in clashes on Friday with Israeli forces in West Bank

(Update: adds info of second Palestinian fatality)

Jerusalem, Mar 10 (EFE).- A 16-year-old Palestinian was shot dead on Friday during clashes with Israeli security forces in the northern occupied West Bank, the second Palestinian fatality of the day amid a major escalation in violence.

The Palestinian National Authority’s (PNA) Ministry of Healthi dentified the teenager as Amir Mamun Odeh, who died in the city of Qalqilya from a gunshot wound to the chest during clashes with the Israeli army, according to the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa.

An army spokesman told Efe that Israeli troops opened fire on the young man after he threw a Molotov cocktail at them.

Odeh was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

The incident marks the second Palestinian fatality on Friday, following the death of a 21-year-old who, according to the Israeli army, arrived at a Jewish settlement in the northern West Bank armed with knives and explosives before he was shot by a settler.

Several Palestinian towns and villages staged protests on Friday against the Israeli occupation, triggering several clashes with the army.

During one of those rallies in the town of Kafr Qadum, three Palestinians suffered gunshot wounds, while dozens were treated by medical personnel for tear gas inhalation fired by Israeli soldiers to disperse the crowds, according to Wafa.

The incidents come after a yet another day of violence and bloodshed on Thursday, which saw three Palestinian militants killed during an Israeli military raid in the West Bank and later with an attack in Tel Aviv, in which three civilians were wounded and the Palestinian assailant was killed.

Israeli media reported Friday that one of the wounded was in critical condition, while another is in serious but stable condition.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has seen a major surge in violence over the past year, with more than 76 Paelstinians killed so far this year, while 14 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks in 2023. EFE

Tensions in the region have escalated after the return to power of Benjamin Netanyahu at the helm of a coalition government of far-right political forces.

They have called for an iron fist policy to deal with the Palestinians and an expansion of Israeli settlements in occupied territories. EFE

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