1 Palestinian killed, 10 injured in clashes with Israeli forces in West Bank

By Awad Rajoub

RAMALLAH (AA) – A Palestinian man was killed and 10 others were injured in clashes with Israeli forces on Thursday in several cities in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

The ministry identified the deceased as Mahmoud Fayez Abu Ayhour, 27, who was shot dead by Israeli forces in the town of Halhul.

In a statement, the Palestinian Red Crescent said its crews dealt with seven injuries, one of them serious, including Abu Ayhour, during clashes with the Israeli army in the town of Halhul, Hebron.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army used live and rubber bullets, gas bombs and sound bombs to disperse Palestinians during clashes in the center of Halhul, according to eyewitnesses.

The witnesses said the Israeli forces raided the center of the town and closed a money exchange office, triggering violent clashes.

In the northern West Bank, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said that three Palestinians were injured in the city of Jenin during clashes with Israeli forces escorted by a bulldozer.

The agency reported that heavily-armed soldiers opened fire at local youths, wounding one in the leg.

Also, in the northern West Bank, WAFA reported that a young man was shot and wounded when Israeli forces stormed the Nablus' Al-Makhfieh neighborhood.

The Israeli army also demolished a building consisting of four apartments, northwest of Bethlehem.

Walid Zarina, the owner of the demolished building, told Anadolu Agency that early Thursday morning Israeli forces with bulldozers stormed the Bir Ouna neighborhood and demolished his building under the pretext that it was built without a permit.

Israeli forces cite lack of construction permits while demolishing Palestinian homes, especially in Area C in the occupied West Bank, which constitutes around 60% of its space.

Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was divided into three portions – Area A, B, and C.

Area C is under Israel’s administrative and security control until a final status agreement is reached with Palestinians.

* Writing by Bassel Barakat