Israel drags Mideast region into violence: Palestine

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Thursday accused Israel of dragging the Middle East region into violence.

A young Palestinian was killed and six others were injured in an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Nablus early Thursday, according to the Health Ministry. Scores of Palestinians also suffered temporary asphyxiation from tear gas canisters used by Israeli forces.

Israeli soldiers also demolished a house for the family of a Palestinian detainee accused by Tel Aviv of carrying out an attack that killed a soldier last October.

"The Israeli occupation government insists on dragging the region into escalation and a spiral of violence through its continuous crimes against the Palestinian people," PA spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in statements.

"Israel’s policy of collective punishment whether through home demolitions, killings, sieges…are war crimes under international law," he added.

The Palestinian spokesman called for bringing Israel to accountability over its violations against the Palestinians.

He also appealed to the US administration to "break its silence and oblige Israel to stop its daily crimes and violations against the Palestinian people."

Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank in recent months amid repeated Israeli raids into Palestinian towns.

According to Palestinian figures, 161 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of this year. At least 21 Israelis have also been killed in separate attacks during the same period.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar