A Palestinian teenager was shot dead by the Israeli forces during a raid near the city of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.
In a statement, the Palestinian health ministry said the 18-year-old was killed by live rounds “to the abdomen” in the town of Kafr Dan. He is the seventh Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces this week.
Israeli troops raided several homes in the town early on Friday, triggering confrontations with Palestinian residents by firing sound bombs, tear gas canisters and live ammunition.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group identified the victim as Abdullah Abu Hasan and said he was a local fighter from its al-Quds Brigades armed wing.
The Israeli military said soldiers opened fire at suspects who shot and hurled an explosive device at them during a weapons search operation in Kafr Dan. “A hit was identified,” it said in a statement.
Violence in the occupied West Bank has surged for more than a year with increased Israeli military raids, inscreased settler assaults on Palestinian villages, and a spate of Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis.
On Tuesday, three Palestinians were killed during a military raid on Jenin, among them a 15-year-old who was shot by Israeli special forces after he discovered them as he was leaving his grandfather’s house, according to rights group Defense for Children International – Palestine.
The United Nations has said 2023 is the deadliest year for Palestinians since it started counting fatalities in 2006.
More than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the start of this year, according to the health ministry. At least 35 Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian attacks during the same period.
United States-sponsored statehood negotiations collapsed in 2014 and current diplomatic efforts seem to be focused on forging a historic deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, President Mahmoud Abbas said Middle East peace was attainable only when Palestinians achieve “their full rights”. He called on the UN to convene a peace conference to “salvage the two-state solution”.
