Conflicts & War

Four Palestinians killed in West Bank as tensions simmer

(Update: add info on fourth fatality)

Jerusalem, Dec 8 (EFE).- Four Palestinians were killed in the West Bank Thursday, three of them during a Israeli military raid, according to the Palestinian health ministry, amid one of the deadliest waves of violence in the region in years.

The fourth person was killed later on Thursday in an incident in Aboud.

In a statement, the ministry said that Atta Shalaby, 46, Tariq Fawzy, 29, and Sudqi Zakarneh, 29, died of Israeli gunshot wounds in the northern city of Jenin.

The Israeli army confirmed it had conducted incursions across the West Bank, adding soldiers responded with live fire when Palestinians hurled explosive devices and opened fire at them.

Three people were arrested in Jenin on suspicion of participating in terror activity, the army said.

According to the Palestinian official news agency Wafa, at least 10 people were injured when Israeli troops opened fire on an ambulance.

Later, on Route 465 adjacent to the West Bank town of Aboud, several Palestinians “threw stones and paint bottles at cars” driving in the area, according to a statement from the Israeli army, whose soldiers deployed in the area “fired at the suspects.”

“One Palestinian was killed and another seriously wounded at the hands of Israeli occupation forces near Aboud,” the PNA Health Ministry said, identifying the fatality as Dia Muhamad Shafiq al-Rimawi.

Palestinians, many of them minors, often throw stones at Israelis driving their vehicles inside the occupied West Bank and living in Jewish settlements that are illegal under international law, often leading to violent clashes with Israeli security forces and the settlers.

In Ramallah, Israeli forces detained two other Palestinians and questioned the relatives of a Palestinian who was shot dead after firing at an Israeli military outpost on Wednesday.

A total of 13 Palestinians were detained during the various raids carried out early on Thursday, the military said.

This year has been the deadliest for Palestinians in the West Bank since 2006.

There have been intense Israeli raids and armed clashes with Palestinians, especially since late March when Israel launched a military operation it calls “Breaking the Wave” in response to a wave of attacks by Palestinians on Israeli soil.

Since then, violence has been on the rise, leaving at least 164 Palestinians dead, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

The victims have mostly been militants, but also include children and civilians such as Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh.

A total of 29 Israelis have also died, including 21 civilians, the Israeli Defense Forces have said. EFE

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