West Bank: Israeli forces kill two Palestinians, bringing April death toll to 17
Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians early on Thursday during a raid on the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, the health ministry reported.
The victims were identified as Shaas Kamamji from Kufr Dan village, and Mustafa Abu al-Rab from Mesilia village.
The ministry later announced the death of a 45-year-old Palestinian father of six who was "critically wounded by Israeli bullets” on Wednesday in Beita, south of Nablus.
He was identified as Fawaz Hamayel by local sources.
Their deaths bring the total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in less than 48 hours to six, as Israel ramps up its operations and raids across the West Bank.
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Since the start of Ramadan on 2 April, 17 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire. A total of 41 have been killed this year.
Israeli attacks increased this week after Prime minister Naftali Bennett warned that Israel is now "on the offensive" and granted the security forces "full freedom of action".
His remarks were made after four attacks in Israel carried out by Palestinians between 22 March and 7 April left 14 people dead.
A wave of killings
On Wednesday evening, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians in separate incidents in the West Bank.
The first victim, a young teenage boy, was killed in Husan village near Bethlehem. He was identified as Qusai Hamamra, 14, and his body was briefly withheld by Israeli forces after his death, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Northeast of Ramallah, Israeli forces fatally shot Omar Elayian, 20, in the chest, as they raided the town of Silwad and other parts of the city, the ministry said.
Earlier this week, Ghada Ibrahim al-Aridi, a 47-year-old widowed Palestinian mother of six, was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier in Husan village, west of Bethlehem.
Footage documenting the moment she was shot showed her posing no threat to the soldiers. No weapon was found on her.
The tensions have come during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and ahead of the start of Passover Friday, an overlap that can heighten tensions around sacred sites in Jerusalem's Old City.
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