Two Palestinians Shot Dead by Israeli Forces in Occupied West Bank
The Palestinian health ministry named the victims as 19-year-old Ahmed Jamal Tawfiq Assaf from Qabatiya and 24-year-old Rani Walid Qatanat from Jenin refugee camp.
They were killed when Israeli forces opened fire on their car, injuring three others, local reports said.
The Israeli military claimed that "assailants opened fire at IDF soldiers from a vehicle" and the soldiers "responded with live fire".
Witnesses said a large army force entered the town, near the northern city of Jenin, with drones flying overhead, and blocked the main roads.
Israeli forces used loudspeakers to order cars to stop and raided several Palestinian homes, while surrounding others.
Gunfire and explosions echoed around the town as clashes erupted between Israeli forces and armed residents, witnesses said.
The incident raised the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces this year to 108. Nineteen Israelis and one Ukrainian have also been killed by Palestinians in the same period.
The raid followed a day of Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip that killed three Islamic Jihad commanders and 12 civilians, including four children, sparking fears of an escalation.
Source: Agencies
