JENIN: Israeli forces killed two Palestinians on Thursday in raids in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said, during what the Israeli army described as “counterterrorism activities”.

Hours later, the ministry announced the death of 45-year-old Palestinian father of six, who had been “critically wounded by Israeli bullets” on Wednesday in Beita, south of Nablus. Local sources named the man as Fawaz Hamayel.

The latest incident in a spate of violence over the past two weeks took place before dawn in two towns in the Jenin area, where residents said Israeli forces carried out arrests.

An Israeli army spokesperson said soldiers “responded with live ammunition” after “dozens of Palestinians violently attacked the soldiers, shot at the forces, and hurled IEDs (improvised explosive devices) at them, endangering their safety”. Four more Palestinians were wou­nded, according to the Pales­tinian Health Mini­stry. No Israeli casualties were reported.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2022