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Iraeli troops fired at stone-throwers in West Bank clashes Monday, killing two Palestinian teens and raising fears about an escalation of violence at a time of growing diplomatic friction between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Recent tensions have been stoked by the mounting frustrations of a new generation of Palestinians over nearly half a century of Israeli military rule. Perceptions that Israel is trying to tighten its grip on a major Jerusalem shrine sacred to Muslims and Jews also play a role.
Since late last week, four Israeli civilians were killed in two separate attacks, including a couple shot to death in the West Bank and a man stabbed in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israeli forces shot dead two suspected Palestinian assailants. More than 450 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank over the weekend, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent paramedic service.
On Monday, confrontations erupted in the biblical West Bank town of Bethlehem, just south of Jerusalem, and in the northern town of Tulkarem.
In Bethlehem, stone-throwers clashed with Israeli troops near Rachel’s Tomb, a frequent flashpoint near where Israel’s separation barrier juts into the city.
A doctor at a nearby hospital said 13-year-old, Abdel Rahman Shadi died after being hit by a live bullet to the chest while another Palestinian protester was wounded.
The Israeli military said dozens of Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli soldiers near the site. Troops initially fired tear gas and then responded with live rounds, the army said. It said it was investigating the incident.
Recent tensions have been stoked by the mounting frustrations of a new generation of Palestinians over nearly half a century of Israeli military rule. Perceptions that Israel is trying to tighten its grip on a major Jerusalem shrine sacred to Muslims and Jews also play a role.
Since late last week, four Israeli civilians were killed in two separate attacks, including a couple shot to death in the West Bank and a man stabbed in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israeli forces shot dead two suspected Palestinian assailants. More than 450 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank over the weekend, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent paramedic service.
On Monday, confrontations erupted in the biblical West Bank town of Bethlehem, just south of Jerusalem, and in the northern town of Tulkarem.
In Bethlehem, stone-throwers clashed with Israeli troops near Rachel’s Tomb, a frequent flashpoint near where Israel’s separation barrier juts into the city.
A doctor at a nearby hospital said 13-year-old, Abdel Rahman Shadi died after being hit by a live bullet to the chest while another Palestinian protester was wounded.
The Israeli military said dozens of Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli soldiers near the site. Troops initially fired tear gas and then responded with live rounds, the army said. It said it was investigating the incident.
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