At least four young Palestinian men have been shot dead by Israeli forces in two separate incidents in the West Bank, as violence escalates in the occupied territory concurrent with the Tel Aviv regime’s relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
The official Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing medical sources, said Israeli forces opened fire on three teenagers near the illegal Adora settlement, west of al-Khalil, on Friday evening.
The three victims were identified as 19-year-old Ismail Ahmed Yousef Abu Jahisha and his cousin Mahmoud Arafat Yousef Abu Jahisha, 16, as well as Odai Ismaeil Yousef, also 16.
Local sources, requesting anonymity, said Israeli troops sealed off entrances to the towns of Idhna and Tarqumiyah in the aftermath of the shooting, and deployed their forces heavily in the vicinity of the settlement.
Flares were also fired in the area by the Israeli troops.
WAFA report appears to dismiss Israeli media narratives that the three had “infiltrated” the settlement.
The Israeli military alleged in a statement that the three Palestinians opened fire at troops conducting a patrol in Adora.
It further claimed that a 34-year-old settler was shot in the leg during the purported attack, and was in good-to-moderate condition. He was reportedly conscious when taken to hospital.
The military said troops were continuing to search the settlement.
Separately, a Palestinian university student was killed and two others suffered gunshot wounds in their lower extremities during an Israeli military raid into the town of Zeita, located 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) northeast of Tulkarm.
Confrontations broke out following the Israeli military incursion into the town, during which Israeli forces attacked residents and injured three youths.
Local sources said Israeli troops opened live fire and tear gas canisters heavily toward locals, and prevented ambulances from reaching the scene.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said its crews dealt with very serious injuries as a result of the attack, which caused a 19-year-old teenager to suffer a cardiopulmonary arrest. He was transferred to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
WAFA identified the teenager as Khalid Ahmed Zubeid, a sophomore student specializing in communications engineering at Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie (PTUK).
Dr. Amin Khader, the head of Thabet Thabet Government Hospital in Tulkarm, said bruises were widespread across the teenager’s body, suggesting that he had been severely beaten by Israeli troops.
Israel has ramped up its aggression in the West Bank since its bombardment of Gaza began in early October.
At least 344 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank since October 7 when Israel waged the genocidal war on Gaza after Hamas carried out a historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.
The Israeli aggression has so far killed at least 23,708 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and wounded more than 60,000 others.
The Tel Aviv regime has imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.
