West Bank toll rises with deaths of two Palestinians
The Palestinian death toll from a Monday raid by Israeli troops on the flashpoint West Bank city of Jenin has risen to six, according to the health ministry. Eight Israeli security personnel and more than 90 Palestinians were wounded
Ramallah – A Palestinian died Tuesday from gunshot wounds sustained in an earlier Israeli raid, the Palestinian health ministry said after announcing another man was killed elsewhere in the occupied West Bank.
Amjad Aref Jaas “died from critical wounds to the abdomen sustained from live occupation (Israeli) fire” in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, a ministry statement said.
The 48-year-old’s death raises to six the number of Palestinians killed in Monday’s hours-long raid by Israeli troops, which wounded more than 90 Palestinians according to health officials.
Eight Israeli security personnel were wounded in Jenin, the military said.
After the firefight ended, the Palestinian health ministry announced Israeli troops killed a 20-year-old near the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Zakaria Mohammed al-Zaoul was “martyred by live occupation (Israeli) bullets to the head, in the town of Husan”, the ministry said late Monday.
The Israeli military said troops were “on routine activity” in the city, south of Jerusalem, when “a suspect hurled Molotov cocktails” at them.
“The soldiers responded with live fire. A hit was identified,” it added.
In a statement, the militant group Islamic Jihad claimed Zaoul as a member.
The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported the military used live fire, tear gas and stun grenades during the clashes with young Palestinians.
The deaths are the latest in a surge of violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has killed at least 166 Palestinians, 21 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian this year.
The tally compiled from official sources includes combatants as well as civilians and, on the Israeli side, three members of the Arab minority.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and its armed forces routinely carry out patrols and raids in Palestinian towns and cities.