Four Palestinians Killed in Alleged West Bank Attacks
Ramallah, 6 Jumadal Awwal 1437/15 February 2016 (MINA) – Two Palestinian teenagers have been shot dead after reportedly opening fire on Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army said in a statement on Sunday.
The statement said the pair attacked an Israeli patrol west of the city of Jenin with rocks before firing on soldiers with a rifle.
“The force responded to the shooting and fired towards the attackers, resulting in their deaths,” it said.
The Palestinian health ministry named those killed as Nihad Waked and Fuad Waked, both 15 years old. They were not thought to be closely related, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency quoted MEE as reporting.
Two more Palestinians were also shot dead on Sunday in incidents described as attempted stabbings by Israeli authorities.
A Palestinian was killed after attempting to stab an Israeli border guard in the West Bank between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, authorities said.
The Palestinian health ministry identified the assailant as Naim Safi, 17, from a village near Bethlehem.
And in the West bank city of Hebron, police said that a female Palestinian had been shot dead after attempting to stab a policeman.
A police spokesperson said the attacker, whose age was not immediately known, drew a knife on a border police officer at a checkpoint and the officer, who was unharmed, shot her dead.
The incident took place near the shared religious site known to Jews as the Cave of the Patriarchs and to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque, a site of frequent friction between the sides.
It was the location of another alleged stabbing attempt on Saturday which resulted in a 17-year-old Palestinian named by officials as Kalzar al-Uweiwi being shot dead.
Mourners gathered in Hebron on Sunday for Uweiwi’s funeral.
Since the current round of bloodshed erupted at the beginning of October, 171 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces. Most were killed while allegedly carrying out attacks but others died during clashes and demonstrations.
The violence has claimed the lives of 26 Israelis, as well as an American, a Sudanese and an Eritrean, according to an AFP count. (T/R07/R01)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
