Israeli settlers shoot, injure two Palestinians in West Bank

At least two Palestinians have sustained gunshot wounds after an unspecified number of Israeli settlers opened fire on them in the central part of the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the settlers stormed the Dar Salah village, located six kilometers (3.7 miles) east of Bethlehem, on Wednesday morning, and then fired indiscriminately at the local residents, the Arabic-language al-Aqsa satellite television network reported.

The report added that two Palestinians suffered wounds as a result, who were transported to hospital to receive medical treatment. One of the injured Palestinians is reportedly in critical condition.

Separately, Israeli military vehicles rolled into the Halahoul neighborhood in northern al-Khalil (Hebron) in the early hours of Wednesday and arrested 17 Palestinians.

The Israeli forces broke into dozens of homes and violently searched them, causing excessive property damage before taking the Palestinians away with them.

On Wednesday morning, a large number of Israeli settlers stormed the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East al-Quds (Jerusalem), situated two kilometers (1.24 miles) north of the occupied Old City, damaging several Palestinian cars. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Israeli settlers also attacked the predominantly Palestinian neighborhood of al-Quds, where two Israelis were killed and as many injured during clashes with 19-year-old Palestinian youth Mohannad Rafiq Halab on October 3.

A young Palestinian suffered injuries on Tuesday evening, when Israeli troopers clashed with a group of Palestinian youths in the northern West bank town of Turmus Ayya, and fired live bullets as well as tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd.

Israeli soldiers also raided Palestinian refugee camps in Nablus and abducted several Palestinians.

Over 120 Palestinians hurt in East al-Quds

Meanwhile, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says more than 120 Palestinians have sustained injuries in recent clashes with Israeli soldiers and illegal settlers across the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

The al-Bireh-based humanitarian organization said a total of 129 Palestinians were wounded during Tuesday skirmishes in the Palestinian territories, bringing the number of those injured since Saturday to over 600.

The PRCS's spokeswoman Errab Foqaha said at least eight Palestinians were shot by live rounds while at least 23 others were hit by rubber-coated steel bullets. 

She added that 57 Palestinians have also suffered excessive tear gas inhalation, and two others have been physically assaulted.

Foqaha went on to say that Israeli forces have attacked Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulances on at least 13 occasions since Sunday.

Richard Silverstesin, a journalist and creator of the Tikun Olam political blog that regularly reports on Israeli security matters, in an exclusive interview with Press TV on Tuesday, described the escalating tensions between Palestinians and Israelis in al-Quds as “very alarming,” stressing that Israel’s suppression of Palestinian protests rather than addressing them is simply exacerbating the situation.

“Israel’s approach to this issue will fail and the murder of Palestinians is a morally bankrupt approach… The rights of Palestinians to return to their own nation must be recognized, and the end of occupation must happen. Without satisfying these elementary demands of Palestinians, this will go on forever until the international community intervenes in some meaningful way to force Israel to adhere to a reasonable settlement,” he noted.

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