Israeli army besieges W. Bank town after alleged attack

By Abdul Raouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army on Friday imposed a tight siege around the Palestinian town of Halhoul in the southern West Bank.

In a statement, the army said it had imposed the siege after a Palestinian resident of the town had attacked the nearby Gush Etzion settlement, injuring two Israelis.

"After assessing the situation, army forces imposed a total siege on Halhoul," the statement read, adding that members of the alleged attacker’s family had since been summoned for questioning.

Earlier Friday, Israeli troops shot and “neutralized” a young Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank after he allegedly tried to attack a group of Israelis, according to a separate army statement.

Local witnesses, however, told Anadolu Agency by phone that Israeli troops had opened fire on a Palestinian man -- without provocation -- as he drove from Bethlehem to the city of Hebron, leaving him injured.