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Four Israeli settlers killed in West Bank shooting

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir says it is time to 'take down buildings' as he calls for more air operations a day after a deadly Israeli raid on Jenin
Bullet holes riddle a vehicle belonging to a Palestinian man suspected of participating in a shooting in the illegal Israeli settlement of Eli, 20 June 2023, Tubas, occupied West Bank (AFP)

Four Israeli settlers have been killed in a shooting in the occupied West Bank, according to medical services, with four others left wounded.

The Magen David Adom emergency services said the shooting took place near the illegal Israeli settlement of Eli in the central West Bank.

Four more were left wounded, the organisation reported.

Two gunmen were identified by Palestinian media as Muhannad Faleh Shehadeh and Khaled Mustafa Sabah, both of whom are from the village of Orif, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

Shehadeh was shot dead at the scene. Sabah was shot dead in Toubas in the occupied West Bank, Israel's Shin Bet security agency said. 

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Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir arrived at the scene of the shooting Tuesday evening, and called on "residents of Judea and Samaria to carry weapons", saying "it saves lives". 

Ben Gvir demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant launch a major military operation in the occupied West Bank.

"We need a return to targeted killings from the air, bring down buildings, set up roadblocks, expel terrorists, and finish passing the death penalty for terrorists legislation,” he said. 

The shooting comes a day after a major Israeli raid on the West Bank city of Jenin that killed six Palestinians.

The Palestinian health ministry named Amjad al-Jas, 48, as the sixth and oldest Palestinian to be killed during the raid. 

According to Palestinian media outlet Arab48, Amjad’s 22-year-old son, Waseem Amjad Aref al-Jas, was also killed by Israeli forces in January of this year during a similar raid on Jenin that killed 10 Palestinians

The youngest victim of the attack was Ahmed Youssef Saqr, 15. The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli forces also killed 21-year-old Khaled Azzam Darwish; Qassam Faisal Abu Sariya, 29; Qais Majdi Jabareen, 21; and Ahmed Daraghmeh, 19.

Israel deployed an estimated 120 military vehicles in Jenin on Monday, backed by Apache helicopters which it used to attack Palestinian targets for the first time in the West Bank since 2002.

Snipers were also deployed overlooking the city.

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