Four Palestinians killed by Israeli forces
Violence continues amid alleged attacks in occupied West Bank where 134 Palestinians have been killed since October 1.
Published On 24 Dec 2015
Israeli forces have killed four Palestinians in in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, taking the total Palestinian death toll since the start of October to 134.
Thursday’s killings come on the heels of months of escalated violence in Israel and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
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The 134 Palestinians, including unarmed demonstrators, bystanders and assailants, have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers. The figure includes 26 children, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Health.
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During that same period, the Israeli Red Cross has documented the killing of 20 Israelis, a US citizen and an Eritrean who was shot dead and lynched by Israelis after being mistaken for a Palestinian attacker.
On Thursday, Israeli troops fatally shot a Palestinian motorist as he allegedly attempted to crash his car into a group of soldiers between the town of al-Ram and Geva Benyamin, a Jewish-only settlement in the central West Bank.
An Israeli army spokesperson confirmed to Al Jazeera that a soldier was “lightly injured” by the car.
The incident came just hours after two Palestinians were shot dead in alleged stabbing incidents.
Israeli soldiers killed Eyad Ideis, 25, as he reportedly attempted to attack them with a screwdriver at an army checkpoint in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
Earlier in the day, the 22-year-old Muhammad Zahran was shot dead by security guards at the Israeli settlement of Ariel while allegedly trying to stab them.
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Israeli troops also killed Wissam Abu Guweila at an anti-occupation protest at the Qalandiya refugee camp north of Jerusalem, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said on its Facebook page.
Palestinians are protesting Israel’s ongoing occupation and Jewish settler incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site for Muslims, in occupied East Jerusalem.
Israeli troops responded with live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades and tear gas.
Last month, Amnesty International condemned Israel’s “extrajudicial” killings.
“Israeli forces have a long history of carrying out unlawful killings in the occupied Palestinian territories, including extrajudicial executions,” Philip Luther, director of Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa programme, said in a statement.
“While the number of attacks by Palestinians on Israeli civilians, soldiers and police has increased significantly since the beginning of October, there is never any excuse for the Israeli military and police forces using lethal force where it is not warranted.”
Later on Thursday, Israeli troops clashed with Palestinian protesters at the Qalandiya checkpoint between Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah.
At least six Palestinians were injured by live ammunition, the Palestinian Red Crescent told Al Jazeera.
Source: Al Jazeera