Suspected Palestinian assailant killed in West Bank settlement

WEST BANK: A suspected Palestinian assailant was shot dead by an Israeli civilian Friday after an attempted stabbing attack in a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli army said.

The Palestinian health ministry said a Palestinian had been killed in the southern West Bank “by occupation (Israeli) fire,” identifying him as Alaa Qaisiyah, 28.

In a brief statement, the army reported an “infiltration” at the Teneh Omarim settlement south of Hebron, saying a “terrorist attempted to stab a civilian” before being “neutralised”.

There were no Israeli casualties, the army said. An army spokesperson told AFP the suspected assailant was shot by a civilian. It was unclear whether that civilian was the target of the alleged stabbing attack. Later in the day, Palestinians and settlers clashed northeast of Ramallah, Israeli and Palestinian officials said. “The confrontation involved mutual stone-hurling and Israeli civilians firing into the air,” the Israeli army said in a statement. “As a result, Israeli civilians and Palestinians were injured.

Additional reports are stating that multiple Palestinian vehicles were set on fire as a result of the confrontation,” the army said, noting Israeli forces used “riot dispersal means” at the scene. The Palestinian health ministry said four people were wounded by settlers in the clash near Al-Mughayir.

The European Unions delegation to the Palestinian Authority condemned the “settlers attacks,” citing data showing “increasing and more violent settler attacks” and calling on Israel to “take decisive steps to ensure accountability and protect the Palestinian civilian population”.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967. Excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, it is home to some three million Palestinians. About 490,000 Israelis live in the occupied territory in settlements deemed illegal under international law.

Since the start of the year, at least 154 Palestinians, 20 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian have been killed in violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources. The figures include combatants as well as civilians and, on the Israeli side, three members of the Arab minority.