Conflicts & War

Israeli motorist killed as violence continues in West Bank

(Update 1: Updates with Israeli motorist’s death at hands of Palestinian gunman)

Jerusalem, Feb 27 (EFE).- An Israeli motorist was shot and killed Monday by Palestinian gunmen in the occupied West Bank, an attack that added to a wave of bloodshed and mayhem in recent hours.

This latest killing occurred in the afternoon at an intersection near the Jewish settlement of Beit HaArava, not far from the Palestinian city of Jericho.

The 27-year-old victim died in a hospital after being rushed there in critical condition, according to Maguen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency medical, disaster, ambulance and blood bank service.

Israel’s army said a group of people carried out Monday’s attack, firing shots from inside their vehicle and then fleeing the scene. In response, soldiers set up roadblocks and increased their vigilance at local checkpoints in a bid to track down the assailants.

According to local media, soldiers have cut off access to Jericho and also are carrying out raids at a refugee camp in that city.

Monday’s violent episode came a day after around 400 Jewish settlers responded to the Sunday afternoon killings in Hawara of two Israeli brothers by setting fire to hundreds of cars and buildings in that northern West Bank town and in four others: Burin, Zatara, Udala and Asira al-Qabaliyya.

A Palestinian was killed and more than 300 others were injured in the rampage, Palestinian media reported Monday. Media reports and analysts have called the rioting by the settlers the worst incident of its kind in decades.

Sunday’s attacks came after 11 Palestinians were killed and more than 100 others were wounded during an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Nablus on Wednesday, in what was one of the deadliest incidents for Palestinians in years.

A total of 63 Palestinians have been killed since Jan. 1 – the highest number of fatalities at the start of a year since 2000; following Monday’s killing, 14 people on the Israeli side have been slain, most of them victims of attacks in occupied East Jerusalem.

Many of the deaths in recent weeks have come during clashes triggered by Israeli military operations in the West Bank, as well as deadly attacks launched by Palestinians against Israelis. EFE

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