Israeli soldiers killed a 17-year-old Palestinian fighter during a night-time operation in the West Bank.
People who live there said Othman Abu Kharj was killed in a village called Zababdeh, close to Jenin. This happened when the army went into the village and caused fights with the people who live there.
The army did not directly say anything about his death, but they mentioned that Palestinians threw explosive objects.
People who saw what happened say that soldiers shot the teenager near a house that was being surrounded.
The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad said that Abu Kharj is a fighter in their fast-acting team.
The army went to at least 20 places in the West Bank after three Israelis were killed in different attacks by Palestinian gunmen this week.
Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, promised to avenge the killers and those who send them, whether they are close by or far away. In simpler terms, he said Iran is responsible for the killings because they support Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the biggest Palestinian militant group.
The Palestinian Prisoners Club reported that over 50 individuals were detained overnight. They accused Israel of punishing the entire community and damaging the homes of families.
On Monday night, Israeli forces shot a Palestinian man in the head in a village near Nablus. He was seriously hurt. A video showed that he didn’t have a weapon and was running towards someone who was injured. But then he got shot by one bullet.
The West Bank is currently experiencing very violent conflict, which is the worst it has been in 20 years. This violence is happening because there is no solution to the political disagreement in the area. Additionally, Israel has been occupying the West Bank for 57 years.
Israel currently has a very nationalistic government, which is the most nationalistic government it has ever had. The politicians in power often ask for stronger military actions and more expansion of Israeli settlements.
At the same time, disagreements among Palestinians have caused their political rivalries to become worse, and the official leaders have lost control of important cities in the West Bank to militant groups.
On Saturday, two Israelis – a father and son – were killed by a Palestinian gunman at a car wash in the town of Hawara in the northern West Bank. Hawara has witnessed frequent violent incidents involving armed Palestinians and groups of Israeli settlers this year.
On Monday, in the southern part of the West Bank, Palestinian gunmen shot at a car multiple times. This resulted in the death of an Israeli woman named Batsheva Nigri, who lived in a nearby settlement. The man driving got hurt very badly, but Ms. Nigri’s 12-year-old daughter was okay and didn’t get hurt.
Last week, a 15-year-old boy from Palestine was badly hurt after being shot in the head by soldiers from Israel in East Jerusalem which is under Israeli control. The police claim that he attempted to throw a homemade bomb filled with petrol at them when they were searching a place.
On the same day, a video was shown of an apparently unarmed Palestinian man who is said to have mental health problems. He was shot and injured by Israeli soldiers during a protest near Israel’s separation barrier in Qalqilya. The military said they were looking into it.
The violence is making the political situation worse and causing people to talk and act more aggressively.
After Israelis were attacked, some online chat groups followed by Israeli settlers who have extreme political views called for “revenge” against Palestinians and for removing all Palestinians from the town of Hawara.
The National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is in charge of a party called Jewish Power, spoke against his fellow cabinet member, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. He suggested that Gallant is not strong enough on security. Another member of the party also asked Gallant to step down from his position.
However, Hamas showed approval for the attack that took place near Hebron on Monday. They described it as a natural reaction to Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and connected it to the threats on the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. The militant group Islamic Jihad sent a message saying that something worse and stronger is about to happen.
In July, the army launched a major attack on Jenin refugee camp, resulting in the deaths of 12 Palestinians, including fighters and young ones.
During the raid, a soldier from Israel was killed. The army said that he was shot by mistake by his fellow soldiers, who thought he was an enemy.
According to the army, on Tuesday night, soldiers arrested two Palestinians who are believed to have carried out the attack near Hebron on Monday.
Mr Gallant said that the terrorists who killed Batsheva Nigri will stay in jail for the rest of their lives. We will use every method possible to make our security stronger. We will go after and locate our enemies.
This year, 219 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and 31 Israelis have died.