(Adnkronos) – Two young Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank after they threw stones at passing vehicles. The Ramallah Health Ministry said the victims were a 17-year-old and a 19-year-old, who were shot dead last night near the town of Osarin in the northern West Bank.
The Israeli army said two of the three young stone-throwers were “eliminated” while the third was injured. According to Palestinian media, the latter, a 20-year-old, was shot in the knee. The military justified the use of weapons, claiming that the three posed a danger to passing vehicles on roads also used by Israeli settlers. The Palestinian agency Wafa reported that the two youths were killed during a military operation in Osarin, where Israeli forces allegedly entered “under heavy fire, sparking clashes with residents”.
The already tense situation in the West Bank has deteriorated drastically since the outbreak of the current war in Gaza on October 7, 2023. According to the local health ministry, 906 Palestinians have been killed since then during Israeli military operations, armed clashes and attacks. At the same time, attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians have intensified, reinforced by the policies of the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
