AP

Two Palestinians shot dead by Israelis in occupied West Bank

May 8, 2022, 10:51 AM | Updated: 5:46 pm

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, center, makes a statement at the start of the weekly cabine...

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, center, makes a statement at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting seated next to Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, left, in Jerusalem, Sunday, May 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool)

(AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool)

JERUSALEM (AP) — Two Palestinians, one a teenager, were killed in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, hours after police apprehended two Palestinian men suspected of killing three Israelis last week.

It was the latest episode of violence during weeks of Palestinian attacks in Israel, and Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank that have left at least 18 Israelis and some 30 Palestinians dead.

The Palestinian man died after he was shot by Israeli troops trying to cross the security fence near a military checkpoint in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli military said that soldiers “spotted a suspect who attempted to illegally cross the security fence” near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem and fired at him. It said the man was evacuated to receive medical treatment, but declined commenting on the man’s condition. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the man’s death.

The Israeli military also said an Israeli civilian shot a Palestinian armed with a knife who entered a West Bank settlement south of Jerusalem. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 17-year-old Mutassim Atallah was killed in the Tekoa settlement.

The military said troops were searching the area for additional suspects, but provided no additional details about the incident.

In a separate incident, a Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem’s Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant.

Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker’s condition was not immediately clear.

Sunday’s incidents were the latest in string of violent episodes in recent weeks, including deadly attacks inside Israel, an Israeli military crackdown in the West Bank, and clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians at a major holy site in Jerusalem sacred to Jews and Muslims.

Earlier on Sunday Israeli police said forces captured two Palestinians who killed three people in a stabbing attack last week and fled the scene, sparking a massive manhunt and keeping the country on edge.

The two attackers went on a stabbing rampage in the ultra-Orthodox city of Elad on Thursday, Israel’s Independence Day, killing three and wounding at least four others before bolting.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told his Cabinet that forces captured “terrorists awash with incitement who killed with axes and unimaginable cruelty.”

He said Israel was entering a “new stage in the war on terror,” and said Israel was establishing a civilian national guard that would be deployed in emergency situations like the kinds of attacks the country has witnessed in recent weeks.

“The Israeli government’s main goal is to restore personal security to Israeli citizens,” he said.

A joint statement by police, the military and the Shin Bet internal security agency said the men, identified as 19- and 20-year-old Palestinians, were caught near a quarry not far from Elad following a search that began Thursday by special forces and commando units using helicopters and other means.

Images in Israeli media showed masked security forces confronting the men, who appeared to be beneath a green shrub in a rugged patch of land.

As forces scoured the area looking for the men, police called on the public to avoid the area, and urged Israelis to report suspicious vehicles or people to them.

Police said the attackers were from near the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank, which has re-emerged as a militant bastion in the latest wave of violence — the worst Israel has seen in years. Several of the attackers in the recent violence have come from Jenin.

The Israeli military said it began preparations to demolish the homes of the two suspects in the village of Rummanah. Israel says the policy of demolishing homes of Palestinians who kill Israelis serves to deter would-be attackers, while rights groups say it amounts to collective punishment.

At least 18 Israelis have been killed in five attacks since March, including another stabbing rampage in southern Israel, two shootings in the Tel Aviv area, and a shooting last weekend in a West Bank settlement.

Most of the Palestinians who have died in the violence had carried out attacks or were involved in confrontations with Israeli forces in the West Bank. But an unarmed woman and two apparent bystanders were also among those killed and rights groups say Israel often uses excessive force.

The violence has been fueled by tensions at a Jerusalem hilltop compound holy to both Muslims and Jews, where Palestinians have clashed recently with Israeli police.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is the third holiest site in Islam and is built on a hilltop that is the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. It lies at the emotional heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


              Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, center, makes a statement at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting seated next to Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, left, in Jerusalem, Sunday, May 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool)
            
              Israeli police officers and paramedics work at a border police checkpoint tower in Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, May 8, 2022. A Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker's condition was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, center, makes a statement at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting seated next to Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, left, in Jerusalem, Sunday, May 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool)
            
              Israeli police officers and paramedics work at a border police checkpoint tower in Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, May 8, 2022. A Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker's condition was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, center, makes a statement at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting seated next to Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, left, in Jerusalem, Sunday, May 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool)
            
              Israeli police officers and paramedics work at a border police checkpoint tower in Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, May 8, 2022. A Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker's condition was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, center, makes a statement at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting seated next to Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, left, in Jerusalem, Sunday, May 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool)
            
              Israeli police officers and paramedics work at a border police checkpoint tower in Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, May 8, 2022. A Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker's condition was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              Israeli police officers and paramedics work at a border police checkpoint tower in Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, May 8, 2022. A Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker's condition was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              Israeli police officers and paramedics work at a border police checkpoint tower in Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, May 8, 2022. A Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker's condition was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              Israeli police officers and paramedics work at a border police checkpoint tower in Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, May 8, 2022. A Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker's condition was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              Israeli police officers and paramedics work at a border police checkpoint tower in Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, May 8, 2022. A Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker's condition was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              Israeli police officers and paramedics work at a border police checkpoint tower in Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, May 8, 2022. A Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker's condition was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              Israeli police officers and paramedics work at a border police checkpoint tower in Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, May 8, 2022. A Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker's condition was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              Israeli police officers and paramedics work at a border police checkpoint tower in Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, May 8, 2022. A Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker's condition was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              An Israeli police officers secures the area outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, May 8, 2022. A Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker's condition was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              Israeli police officers clear the area outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, May 8, 2022. A Palestinian man allegedly stabbed an Israeli police officer outside Jerusalem's Old City. Police said the knife-wielding man stabbed the policeman, and other officers at the scene near the Damascus Gate shot the assailant. Paramedics said the officer was hospitalized in moderate condition. The attacker's condition was not immediately clear. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              Ultra-Orthodox Jews stand behind police tape after a stabbing attack in the town of Elad, Israel, Thursday, May 5, 2022. Israeli medics say at least three people were killed in a stabbing attack near Tel Aviv on Thursday night. Israeli police said they suspect it was a militant attack. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
            
              Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, center, arrives for the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Sunday, May 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool)

AP

FILE - Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., leaves the chamber at the Capitol in Washingt...

Associated Press

McCarthy rejects Senate spending bill while scrambling for a House plan that averts a shutdown

A government shutdown appeared all but inevitable as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy dug in Thursday.

2 days ago

(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)...

Associated Press

Kari Lake reportedly plans to launch US Senate bid in Arizona for seat held by Kyrsten Sinema

Republican Kari Lake will soon launch her campaign for the U.S. Senate seat held by independent Kyrsten Sinema, a senior adviser said Thursday.

3 days ago

Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jers...

Associated Press

3rd Republican presidential debate is set for Nov. 8 in Miami, with the strictest qualifications yet

The third Republican presidential debate will be held in Miami on Nov. 8, a day after several states hold off-year elections.

8 days ago

During the equinox, the Earth’s axis and its orbit line up so that both hemispheres get an equal ...

Associated Press

The fall equinox is here. What does that mean?

The equinox arrives on Saturday, marking the start of the fall season for the Northern Hemisphere. But what does that actually mean?

8 days ago

Ray Epps Ray Epps, an Arizona man who became the center of a conspiracy theory about Jan. 6, 2021, ...

Associated Press

Ray Epps, an Arizona man who supported Trump, pleads guilty to Capital riot charge

Ray Epps, the target of a conspiracy theory about the Jan. 6, 2021, attack, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge.

10 days ago

Former President Donald Trump repeatedly declined in an interview aired Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, to ...

Associated Press

Trump refuses to say in a TV interview how he watched the Jan. 6 attack unfold at the US Capitol

Former President Donald Trump repeatedly declined in an interview aired Sunday to answer questions about whether he watched the Capitol riot.

14 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Mayo Clinic

Game on! Expert sports physicals focused on you

With tryouts quickly approaching, now is the time for parents to schedule physicals for their student-athlete. The Arizona Interscholastic Association requires that all student-athletes must have a physical exam completed before participating in team practices or competition.

...

Ability360

At Ability360, every day is Independence Day

With 100 different programs and services, more than 1,500 non-medically based home care staff, a world-renowned Sports & Fitness Center and over 15,000 people with disabilities served annually, across all ages and demographics, Ability360 is a nationwide leader in the disability community.

...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

5 mental health myths you didn’t know were made up

Helping individuals understand mental health diagnoses like obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder or generalized anxiety disorder isn’t always an easy undertaking. After all, our society tends to spread misconceptions about mental health like wildfire. This is why being mindful about how we talk about mental health is so important. We can either perpetuate misinformation about already […]

Two Palestinians shot dead by Israelis in occupied West Bank