Israeli soldiers gravely injured two Palestinians on Monday in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported, the latest episode in a surge of Israeli-Palestinian violence during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Israeli troops were conducting an arrest operation in Yamun, west of Jenin in the northern West Bank, when scores of Palestinians began throwing rocks and bombs at the troops, who opened fire.
“Soldiers opened fire on the suspects who hurled explosive devices. The army expressed in a statement that “hits were identified.” According to the official Palestinian news agency, the two injured guys were hospitalized.
The military claimed it arrested 11 Palestinians overnight Monday in operations across the West Bank.
Israel has dispatched forces to scour Palestinian cities and villages for suspects or collaborators in connection with two recent deadly attacks on Israelis. Earlier this month, a Palestinian gunman opened fire on a packed Tel Aviv pub, killing three people before fleeing. He was later murdered by police in a gunfight following a lengthy manhunt.
This attack, along with three others around Israel in recent weeks, resulted in the death of 14 people, the bloodiest outpouring of carnage against Israelis in years.
According to one count, Israeli soldiers have murdered at least 25 Palestinians in recent weeks. Many were involved in attacks or conflicts, but an unarmed woman and a lawyer who appeared to be a bystander were also killed.
Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. The Palestinians are vying for those lands in order to establish a future independent state.
