Two Palestinian boys were killed by Israeli gunfire on Friday in separate instances in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The Health Ministry reported two teen shooting deaths, one in the town of al-Mazra’a al-Gharbiyah close to Ramallah and the other in the city of Qalqilya in the northern West Bank.
The Israeli military said that earlier on Friday while conducting normal operations close to Qalqilya, a suspect threw a Molotov cocktail at its soldiers, who then responded with live fire.
Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in the region were reportedly fighting, according to the Palestinian WAFA news agency.
A 17-year-old Palestinian was killed and another was injured, according to witnesses in al-Mazra’a al-Gharbiyah, after Israeli forces opened fire on the locals during clashes with Israeli settlers.
According to the Israeli military, protesters threw rocks at settlements and Israeli troops, mildly injuring one soldier, and the forces reacted with riot dispersal methods such as live fire “by regular operating protocols.” The spokesperson also stated that both events were being investigated.
According to Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, “These atrocities are part of a pattern of abuses and field executions against our people.” He said, “This policy will result in an explosion of the situation and more tension and instability.”
Following a wave of Palestinian street assaults that left 19 people dead in major towns and as the Nov. 1 general election draws near, Israel has increased its operations in the West Bank in recent months.
Since January, over 80 Palestinians have died in the West Bank, including militants and civilians, according to the European Commission, making this year the worst since 2008.
According to data from the United Nations, at least 20 Palestinian youngsters have died in West Bank violence this year.
In the Middle East War of 1967, Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. These territories are sought by the Palestinians for a future state.
