Palestinian teenager shot dead in West Bank as Pompeo arrives in Israel
Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian teenager during an army raid in an occupied West Bank refugee camp on Wednesday, the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry said, as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in Israel.
The health ministry identified the slain youth as Zaid Qaysia, 15, adding that he was "killed by a live bullet in the head fired by the Israeli soldiers in al-Fawwar camp" in the southern West Bank district of Hebron.
The ministry added that a further four Palestinians were injured during the raid, including two youths who were moderately wounded after being shot in the stomach with live bullets.
A witness told Israel's Haaretz newspaper that the soldiers entered the refugee camp under the cover of a Palestinian van.
Meanwhile, six Palestinians were wounded overnight Tuesday during an Israeli raid in the village of Yaabad, where an Israeli soldier was killed on Tuesday.
Soldiers entered the village near Jenin early Tuesday morning to detain a number a residents, when a rock was thrown from a rooftop, striking and killing a soldier, 21-year-old Amit Ben Ygal.
On Tuesday evening, the Israeli army raided the village again, sparking a confrontation with local youths.
Soldiers encircled one of the buildings in Yaabad with equipment used for home demolitions, a Palestinian witnesses told Haaretz.
Israel regularly carries out punitive home demolitions against Palestinians accused of attacking Israelis - a measure which rights groups have denounced as amounting to collective punishment.
US ambassador unwell
Meanwhile, the US ambassador to Israel did not attend Pompeo's arrival as he was feeling unwell and had been advised to keep away, the US State Department said.
The envoy, David Friedman, tested negative for the coronavirus, a State Department spokeswoman said.
Friedman experienced "mild upper respiratory symptoms" and was therefore asked by medical staff to avoid proximity to Pompeo, media added, quoting a statement from the US embassy in Israel.
In his first international trip in weeks, Pompeo landed at Ben Gurion Airport for a brief one-day visit during which he will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his designated coalition partner, Benny Gantz.
The visit comes at a time when international travel is restricted because of the coronavirus.
Pompeo will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and parliament speaker Benny Gantz, who are working to form a unity cabinet.
Pompeo is set to discuss US President Donald Trump's controversial plan that gives US blessing to Israel's annexation of large swathes of the West Bank, even though the United Nations has warned it would be a violation of international law.
Others topics to feature in talks will be the virus pandemic outbreak and regional tensions with Iran, Pompeo said on Twitter after his arrival.
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