Two Paleostinians were killed during an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin, and another two were killed during a clash with security forces near Jerusalem, Paleostinian media reported Wednesday morning.
The violence came in the wake of concerns that the Hamas
...a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...terror group is pushing West Bank Paleostinians to engage in violence against Israel, as Moslems mark the holy month of Ramadan, which started earlier this week.
Paleostinian media reported that two men were rubbed out during an IDF operation in the West Bank city of Jenin early Wednesday morning. According to the reports, Rabih al-Nursi and Mahmoud Abu al-Haija were hit by gunfire, as Israeli forces approached the Khalil Suleiman Governmental Hospital. Four others were also hit by bullets and suffered various injuries, the official Paleostinian Wafa news outlet reported.
The IDF said in a statement the Jenin raid was one of several operations overnight in the West Bank during which seven wanted suspects were arrested.
In Jenin, soldiers arrested one suspect, confiscated weapons, and discovered explosives that were planted under roads, for use against security forces, the IDF said. During the activities, soldiers "fired at gunnies identified in the area" and confirmed hitting some of them, the statement said, without providing further details. There were no injuries to Israeli forces.Those arrested overnight were taken away for investigation, the IDF said.
In Jerusalem, police said officers shot five suspects who were preparing to throw Molotov cocktails at drivers on a road near Jerusalem. Paleostinian media reported that two of them were killed. Police had been staked out near Route 436, which connects the north-western Jerusalem Jewish neighborhood of Ramot and the West Bank settlement of Givat Ze’ev, after suspects were seen on security camera footage hurling Molotov cocktails at cars along the road on Monday night. Security forces opened fire after spotting a group of five suspects who lit Molotov cocktails with the intention of throwing them at drivers, a police statement said. All five were hit, it added.
The Paleostinian media outlet Wafa cited the Paleostinian Red Islamic Thingy Society as saying its medics received two fatalities and three injured people at a checkpoint near the West Bank town of al-Jib. Wafa identified the two fatalities as Zaid Ward Shukri Khalifa, 23, and Abdullah Mamoun Hassan Assaf, 16.
The shooting near came hours after Border Police rubbed out a 13-year-old on Tuesday, as he was launching fireworks during festivities with security forces.
Violence continued Wednesday with a Paleostinian stabbing two people at a checkpoint near Jerusalem, lightly injuring them. The assailant was shot and killed.
The Ynet outlet reported that there were also disturbances this week by security prisoners in both the Megiddo, Ofer, and Kezitot prison facilities. In Ofer, wardens used force to overcome rowdy prisoners, four of whom were maimed and required medical treatment.
A Palestinian teen stabbed two people at a West Bank checkpoint near Jerusalem Wednesday, as tensions in the capital threatened to ramp up ahead of key Friday prayers for Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Both victims were hospitalized with light injuries, medics and hospital spokespeople said. The assailant was shot dead, police said.
The pair were identified as a 25-year-old man working as a civilian security guard, and a 19-year-old woman serving with IDF Military Police, according to authorities.
The attack took place at the so-called “Tunnels” checkpoint, on a highway that links the Etzion settlement bloc to Jerusalem via two tunnels bypassing the Palestinian West Bank city of Bethlehem.
“The area has become a choice location for terror attacks,” Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai said from the scene. “This is the third time in a row. There are too many extremists trying to escalate the situation, and they’re on social media too.”
Attacks last occurred at the checkpoint in November and October.
The Magen David Adom emergency medicine service said both victims were taken to hospitals in Jerusalem, where they were listed in good-to-moderate condition.
Police said the assailant was shot by security forces at the scene. Images from the scene showed the suspect lying on the ground after being shot. He was later declared dead.
Police identified the assailant as Muhammad Abu Hamed, 15, from the West Bank town of al-Khader, near the checkpoint, which sits on Route 60, the West Bank’s main north-south thoroughfare.
According to police, Abu Hamed arrived at the checkpoint on a bicycle, and as security forces attempted to question him he drew a knife and began stabbing people.
A civilian guard at the checkpoint attempted to physically halt him before IDF troops stationed in the area opened fire and fatally hit him.