Israeli forces fatally shoot Palestinian teen

AFP , Saturday 22 Jul 2023

Israeli forces have shot dead a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said Saturday, in what the occupation army described as a "car-ramming attempt" near Nablus.

Israeli violence against Palestinians
Children stand next to a bullet-ridden car in which a Palestinian was killed late on July 21 by Israeli occupation forces.

 

Fawzi Mukhalifa, 18, "was killed by the occupation Israeli bullets in the town of Sebastia" late on Friday, the Palestinian health ministry said.

He was the second Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank within hours.

The occupation army said troops had responded to "a car ramming attempt" in the northern West Bank town "by firing towards the suspects who were in the vehicle. The driver was neutralised."

Another "suspect" who had been in Mukhalifa's car was wounded and arrested, the army said.

The deadly incident came amid rising tensions in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Six-Day War.

The territory has seen a string of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities.

Earlier on Friday, the Palestinian health ministry reported the death of Mohammed al-Bayed, 17, near the city of Ramallah.

Bayed died from injuries sustained by live bullets fired by Israeli forces in the village of Umm Safa, it said, while Israeli border police accused him of attacking officers.

The force said in a statement a "violent disturbance" had broken out "during which suspects threw stones and explosives" at Israeli occupation forces.

"A security guard responded by shooting at a suspect who threw a bomb," the statement said, adding that "a hit was detected".

Israeli violence this year has killed at least 198 Palestinians.

The occupied West Bank is home to nearly three million Palestinians, as well as around 490,000 Israelis who live in settlements considered illegal under international law.

Short link: