UPDATES WITH DEATH OF FOURTH PALESTINIAN, OVERALL DEATH TOLL IN WEST BANK; CHANGES HEAD, DECK, LEAD
By Qais Abu Samra
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) — Israeli forces on Monday killed four Palestinians and critically injured a fifth in the city of Tulkarem in the northern occupied West Bank.
According to official Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israeli special forces soldiers covertly entered Tulkarem, stopped a car, and opened fire on the four Palestinians inside.
The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the four Palestinians as Jihad Shihada, 24, Ezzeddine Awad, 22, and Qasim Rajab, 20, while Momen Bal'awi, 20, later succumbed to his wounds.
The Ministry added that a 14-year-old teenager was injured in the Israeli attack but that his health condition was stable.
Locals in the city mourned those killed and declared a general strike.
The Israeli Shin Bet security service claimed that the four were planning to carry out an attack and were responsible for previous shootings on behalf of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
At least, 159 Palestinians have been killed and 2,250 injured by the Israeli forces across the West Bank since Oct. 7 when the fighting broke out between Palestinian groups and Israel in Gaza.
* Writing by Ahmed Asmar