Two Palestinians shot dead by Israelis in 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.

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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.

Palestinian youths throw stones at Israeli forces’ vehicles in West Bank on Monday. AFP

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.

Israeli forces vehicles drive during a raid on a house in the town of Rummanah in West Bank on Sunday. AFP

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.

This week, Israel said it is set to advance plans for the construction of 4,000 settler homes in the West Bank. If approved, it would be the biggest advancement of settlement plans since the Biden administration took office.

Sunday began with Israeli police capturing two Palestinians who killed three people in a stabbing attack last week and fled the scene, sparking a massive manhunt and keeping the country on edge.

The two attackers went on a stabbing rampage in the ultra-Orthodox city of Elad on Thursday, Israel's independence day, killing three and wounding at least four others before bolting.

Associated Press