2 Palestinian Gunmen, Israeli Army Officer Killed in West Bank Clash
Two Palestinians and an Israeli army officer were killed early Wednesday morning in an exchange of fire at an Israeli army checkpoint, the Israeli military and Palestinian medics reported. Israeli troops noticed two Palestinians holding weapons and approaching the Jalame checkpoint, near the West Bank city of Jenin, according to an Israeli army spokesman. The soldiers tried to arrest the Palestinians, who opened fire, killing the Israeli officer, Maj. Bar Pelah, the deputy commander of elite Nahal reconnaissance unit.
The troops responded with gunfire, killing the Palestinian assailants, the spokesman said in a statement.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said that two Palestinian men – PA security officer Ahmed Abed and Abdul Rahman Abed, both from the Jenin area – were killed by Israeli soldiers.
According to local sources in Jenin, the Israeli military has not released the bodies of the Palestinians, one of whom was a member of the Palestinian security forces.
Israeli media reports say that, according to an initial investigation, the Palestinian gunmen were spotted about 15 meters from the security barrier between Israel and the West Bank, near the Palestinian village of Jalameh north of Jenin, a little over two hours before the incident occurred. They were not identified as armed at the time and therefore were not targeted by Israeli troops.
On Tuesday, a Defense Ministry vehicle came under gunfire while working on the security barrier in the area.
Since March, Israel has carried out arrest raids in the West Bank almost nightly, triggering clashes in which dozens of Palestinians have been killed or injured.
