Palestinian health officials say two Palestinians have been killed and a third was wounded by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank.
This is a locator map of Israel and the Palestinian Territories. – Two Palestinians were killed and a third was wounded by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank early Friday, Palestinian health officials said, as conflicting claims about the incident emerged.
An armed group, the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, portrayed the incident as an attack and said its fighters were involved, but was short on specifics. The group is an offshoot of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Ishtayyeh, claimed the two men were killed in cold blood, but did not provide evidence.
Ongoing Israeli arrest raids in the West Bank pose a serious challenge to Abbas' Palestinian Authority. Abbas relies on security cooperation with Israel, particularly against his Islamic militant rivals, to remain in power. At the same time, this cooperation is deeply unpopular among Palestinians who chafe against Israel’s open-ended occupation, now in its 56th year.