By Zein Khalil
JERUSALEM (AA) – Four Palestinians were injured, including one seriously, by Israeli gunfire in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday, according to Israeli media.
An off-duty Israeli soldier opened fire on the Palestinians after a verbal clash at the Al-Asbat Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City, Haaretz newspaper reported.
The soldier claimed that he thwarted an attempt to steal his weapon, the daily said.
Israeli police said the incident is under investigation, and it is looking into the possibility that the soldier, along with other off-duty troops with him, were involved in an incident of violence before the gunfire.
Tensions have been high across the occupied West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip which has killed more than 37,200 people following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.
At least 543 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,200 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank, according to health ministry’s figure.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in an interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala