JERUSALEM: Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, according to Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant. The incident occurred near the illegal Jewish settlement of Elon Moreh, near the city of Nablus.
Gallant praised the actions of the soldiers, stating that they had “eliminated two terrorists who opened fire on them,” adding that the troops had “prevented an attack on Israeli civilians.”
According to a senior Palestinian official, the two Palestinians who were killed were not immediately identified. The Israeli forces said in a statement that “armed attackers fired shots from a vehicle at the Elon Moreh post.”
Israeli soldiers “fired toward the vehicle and killed two armed assailants,” it added. The army also said that it had seized two M-16 rifles and a handgun.
Violence in West Bank
The incident comes amidst a surge in violence in the region during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Jewish Passover, and Christian Easter.
According to count based on Israeli and Palestinian official sources, the conflict has claimed the lives of at least 19 Israelis and 96 Palestinians, one Ukrainian and one Italian this year.
These figures include combatants and civilians, including minors, on the Palestinian side, and mostly civilians, including children, and three members of the Arab minority on the Israeli side.
Israel has occupied the West Bank territory since the 1967 Six-Day War.
