INTERNATIONAL

Israeli forces killed one Palestinian teenager on Thursday evening.

The killing of 17-year-old Diaa Muhammad Shafiq al-Rimawi occurred hours after Israeli troops killed three Palestinians during an early morning raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement that Israeli soldiers opened fire on several young Palestinians near Ramallah, which serves as Palestine’s de facto administrative capital.

The statement added that two other Palestinians were wounded and hospitalised.

Three other Palestinians killed were identified as Atta Shalabi, 46, Sidqi Zakarneh, 29, and Tariq Damej, 29.

Following the latest killings, the number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of this year has risen to 217, including 52 in the Gaza Strip, and 165 in the West Bank, making it the deadliest year on record for Palestinians since 2005.

Near nightly raids

Israeli authorities have recently been conducting raid-and-arrest operations across the West Bank on a near-nightly basis, often leading to the wounding or killing of Palestinians.

The operation have resulted in more 2,500 arrests, according to Israeli authorities.

Many of the deadly clashes have occurred in the Jenin and Nablus area, where the Israeli forces have repeatedly conducted operations.

Thursday’s deaths come amid a spike in Israeli violence against Palestinians in the West Bank this year and a resurgence of Palestinian armed resistance.

Israel’s “shoot-to-kill policy” has been widely criticised as the number of Palestinian deaths at the hands of its forces increases.

A further 49 Palestinians were killed during an Israeli bombardment of Gaza in August.

Meanwhile, 29 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed by Palestinians in the same period, the highest number since 2008.

Source: Middle East Eye