Palestinian Youth Killed as Israeli Forces Conduct West Bank Arrest Raids
Israeli security forces carried out a series of arrest raids in the West Bank early Tuesday, resulting in the death of a 17-year-old Palestinian, Othman Abu Kharj, who was fatally shot in the head, according to Palestinian health officials. The armed Palestinian group Islamic Jihad claimed Abu Kharj as one of its fighters and gave his age as 18.
The raids began before dawn in the northern West Bank town of Zababdeh, south of Jenin, where local medics reported the incident involving Abu Kharj. Israeli security forces were also engaged in the ongoing search for a Palestinian gunman who perpetrated a fatal shooting attack on Saturday in the northern Palestinian city of Huwara, killing an Israeli father and son.
In total, 15 Palestinian suspects were arrested in various northern West Bank towns. In Zababdeh, Israeli security forces reported returning fire when residents threw explosive devices at them.
Meanwhile, in the southern West Bank, the Israeli army captured two Palestinians suspected of being involved in a separate shooting incident on Monday that killed an Israeli woman, Batsheva Nigri, and seriously wounded a man near the city of Hebron. The suspects, identified by Palestinian media as Saqer and Muhamad al-Shantir, reportedly confessed during interrogation, and the rifle used in the attack was confiscated. A car, allegedly used in the attack and found burned north of Hebron, was also linked to the suspects, according to the mayor of Halhoul.
The Israeli military conducted extensive searches and arrest raids across the West Bank, interrogating 20 Palestinians, confiscating illegal vehicles, and arresting an additional 13 suspects in the Hebron region.
The violence in the West Bank has escalated, with nearly 180 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the start of the year, according to The Associated Press. Israel maintains that most of those killed were combatants and members of armed Palestinian groups, but fatalities have included stone-throwing youths protesting incursions and others not directly involved in confrontations.
During the same period, 30 people have been killed by Palestinian attacks against Israelis.
The Israeli government asserts that the raids are necessary to dismantle terrorist networks and prevent future attacks. However, Palestinians argue that such actions undermine their security forces, foster further extremism, and reinforce Israeli control over lands they aspire to include in a future state. The West Bank was captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
