World stories

Palestinians say man killed during Israeli raid in West Bank

[ad_1]

Comment

JERUSALEM — Palestinian health officials said a Palestinian man was killed by Israeli fire during a military raid in the occupied West Bank on Monday.

Advertisements

It was the latest death in a recent surge of violence in the territory. The Israeli military has been conducting daily raids throughout the West Bank since the spring.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said that soldiers entered the Deheishe refugee camp near the city of Bethlehem early on Monday, sparking clashes with residents. The soldiers then directed tear gas and opened fire at the crowd, it said.

The agency said Omar Manaa, 22, was killed while six other Palestinians were wounded. Four were arrested.

The Israeli military said soldiers entered the camp to arrest three wanted militants. It said the soldiers opened fire after the crowd hurled rocks and firebombs at them.

Advertisements

Palestinians later declared a general strike throughout Bethlehem, shuttering schools, businesses and government offices to protest the killing. The strike came as the city, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus, is getting ready for the busy Christmas season.

Rising Israeli-Palestinian tensions have made 2022 the deadliest year in the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the long-running conflict since 2006. Further escalation appears likely, as the most right-wing and religious government in Israel’s history is poised to be installed in the coming weeks, with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returning to power.

More than 140 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli-Palestinian fighting this year. The Israeli army says most of the Palestinians killed have been militants. But stone-throwing youths protesting Israeli army incursions and others not involved in confrontations have also been killed.

Read Now  Father springs into action after coyote attacks toddler outside Los Angeles home

Monday’s deadly shooting came against the backdrop of months of Israeli arrest raids in the West Bank, prompted by a spate of Palestinian attacks against Israelis in the spring that killed 19 people. The military says the raids are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart future attacks, but the Palestinians say they entrench Israel’s open-ended occupation, now in its 56th year. A recent wave of Palestinian attacks against Israeli targets killed an additional nine people.

Advertisements

[ad_2]

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

World stories

South Sudan police say 5 killed in confrontation near bank

[ad_1] JUBA, South Sudan — Police say at least five people were...

World stories

US announces return of Iraqi artifacts taken from museum during 2003 invasion

[ad_1] Hunting down ISIS in Iraq Fighters from Ansar-al-Marjiiya Brigade, a Public...

World stories

Tennessee men, including suspected Jan. 6 rioter, charged with plotting attack on FBI Knoxville office

[ad_1] A suspected Capitol rioter facing charges for his alleged role in...

World stories

Joe Kennedy III expected to be named as special envoy to Northern Ireland | CNN Politics

[ad_1] CNN  —  President Joe Biden is expected to name former congressman...