Two Palestinians shot dead by Israel in the occupied West Bank

Two Palestinians, one a teenager, were killed in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, hours after police apprehended two Palestinian men suspected of killing three Israelis last week.

It was the latest episode of violence during weeks of Palestinian attacks in Israel, and Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank that have left at least 18 Israelis and more than 30 Palestinians dead.

The Palestinian man died after he was shot by Israeli troops trying to cross Israel’s separation barrier near a military checkpoint in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli military said soldiers “spotted a suspect” attempting to sneak across the barrier near the West Bank city of Tulkarem and fired at him. It said the man was evacuated to receive medical treatment, but declined commenting on the man’s condition. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed his death.

The Israeli military also said an Israeli civilian shot a Palestinian armed with a knife who entered a West Bank settlement south of Jerusalem. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 17-year-old Mutassim Atallah was killed in the Tekoa settlement. Searches were under way for a second Palestinian, the army said.

In a separate incident, police said a Palestinian stabbed and wounded a police officer outside Jerusalem’s Old City, and that officers shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker’s condition was not immediately clear.

Sunday’s incidents were the latest in string of violent episodes in recent weeks, including deadly attacks inside Israel, an Israeli military crackdown in the West Bank, and clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians at a major holy site in Jerusalem sacred to Jews and Muslims.

The ongoing conflict plays out against the backdrop of Israel’s occupation, now in its 55th year, of the West Bank and other lands Palestinians seek for a state. Serious peace talks collapsed more than a decade ago, while Israel’s settlement expansion on occupied lands has continued unabated.

Last week, the Israeli Ministry of Defense said that Israel would approve the planning and building of 4,000 new housing units in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

The announcement came as preparations were underway for President Biden’s visit to Israel, which is expected to take place in the last two weeks of June.

The move is a response to an ultimatum by a lawmaker from Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s party who threatened to leave the fragile coalition if new building in the settlements wasn't approved.

The special committee that approves new buildings in the settlements will convene next week, according to the Ministry of Defense announcement.

It is expected to give permits for the building of 2,500 new housing units in the settlements and move forward with initial planning of another 1,500 housing units.

At least 18 Israelis have been killed in five attacks since March, including another stabbing rampage in southern Israel, two shootings in the Tel Aviv area, and a shooting last weekend in a West Bank settlement.

Most of the Palestinians who have died in the violence had carried out attacks or were involved in confrontations with Israeli forces in the West Bank. But an unarmed woman and two apparent bystanders were also among those killed and rights groups say Israel often uses excessive force.

The violence has been fueled by tensions at a Jerusalem hilltop compound holy to both Muslims and Jews, where Palestinians have clashed recently with Israeli police.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is the third holiest site in Islam and is built on a hilltop that is the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. It lies at the emotional heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

(with inputs from AP)

Published on: Monday, May 09, 2022, 12:52 PM IST