Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinians in occupied West Bank

By Awad Rjoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Israeli army killed a Palestinian child and a young man late Sunday during an incursion into the town of Ya'bad, located south of Jenin in the West Bank.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed in a brief statement that the victims were identified as 13-year-old Muhammad Hamarsheh and 20-year-old Ahmad Zaid, both of whom were shot by Israeli forces.

According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, the Israeli army stormed Ya'bad from its eastern entrance, leading to clashes between soldiers and residents.

During the confrontation, Israeli troops fired live ammunition as well as stun grenades and tear gas, resulting in the two being injured. They were transported to the hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.

Tension has been running high in the West Bank due to Israel’s brutal onslaught against the Gaza Strip, which has killed around 44,000 people, mostly women and children, following an attack in October last year by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

Nearly 797 Palestinians have since been killed and more than 6,450 injured by Israel in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

The International Court of Justice issued a landmark advisory opinion in July that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala