JERUSALEM (Washington Insider Magazine) – According to the Palestinian Ministry Of health, Israeli soldiers fatally shot a Palestinian individual on Wednesday, as they began a days-long raid in the disputed West Bank in retaliation for a series of violent assaults.
According to ABC NEWS, the killing is the latest in a spate of Palestinian-Israeli conflict that has flared as Muslims observe the holy month of Ramadan.
Muhammad Assaf, 34, was shot in the chest in the West Bank city of Nablus, according to the Ministry Of health. The specifics of his death were undisclosed at the time, and the Israeli forces made no immediate response. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 11 more people were hurt as a result of Israeli armed forces operations in the region.
The military simply indicated that personnel were “conducting counterterrorist operations” in the northern West Bank in a statement.
In recent days, Israel has deployed forces to search Palestinian villages and cities for suspects or collaborators in recent Palestinian assaults against Israelis. A Palestinian assailant opened fire on a crowded Tel Aviv club last week, killing 3 individuals and fled the scene, prompting an hours-long pursuit that ended with his death by police.
This assault, along with three others in Israel in recent days, has killed 14 people, making it the worst eruption of violence towards Israelis in years.
As Muslims observe Ramadan, which this year coincides with important Christian and Jewish holidays, tensions have risen. Thousands of people from all three religions are set to flock to Jerusalem’s Old City this week as Easter and Passover begin. The Old City is the emotional core of the Palestinian-Israeli rift and a regular hotspot for violence.
The Israeli administration has attempted to put out the fires by pressing through with plans to loosen limitations on Palestinians inside the Gaza Strip and the West Bank during Ramadan. However, in light of the recent bloodshed in Jenin and the neighboring region, Israel has increased restrictions on passage in and out of the city.
Palestinian terrorists perceive Jenin to be a stronghold. When patrolling in the region, Israeli soldiers are frequently targeted. Even the Palestinian Administration, which controls sections of the disputed West Bank and works with Israel on counterterrorism matters, looks to be in a state of flux.
In past weeks, Israel has made multiple arrests in its raids, and Palestinians have condemned the operations in certain cases. Late Saturday, Palestinian demonstrators set fire to a Jewish-honored West Bank shrine, destroying part of the tomb within. Israel completed renovations to the monument, known among Jews as Joseph’s Tomb, on Wednesday, after the Israeli army announced the arrest of a person tied to arson the day before.
Many Palestinians have died as a result of the raids or as a result of assaults or attempted assaults.