The Palestinian Health Ministry said that two Palestinian males were killed by Israeli soldiers on Monday during an army operation in the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. This is the latest incident in a year-long uptick in violence that shows no signs of slowing down.
The two persons were allegedly helping a shooter who last month shot two soldiers in the occupied West Bank town of Hawara, according to the Israeli military. The army claimed that during the attack, its forces came under fire and retaliated, confirming “hits.”
With almost daily Israeli arrest operations in Palestinian-controlled areas and a wave of Palestinian attacks, violence has increased recently in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
The US has tried to broker talks between Israel, Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinians to try to defuse tensions during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, now in its second week.
An news agency tally indicates that Israeli or settler gunfire has killed at least 88 Palestinians this year. Palestinian attacks against Israelis have killed 15 people in the same period.
Israel says most of those killed have been militants.Security forces have killed not only protestors who were throwing stones and involved in confrontations, but also innocent people who were not participating in the clashes.
Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their future independent state.
