Israeli forces shoot dead 3 Palestinians south of Bethlehem

The Israeli regime forces have shot and killed three Palestinians south of the city of Bethlehem in the West Bank amid escalating violence against the Palestinians in the occupied territories.

The three Palestinians were killed on Thursday near the Gush Atsion cluster of settlements, south of Bethlehem, after Israelis opened fire on them.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, Israeli forces delayed the arrival of medical staff to treat the trio who had been injured.

Israeli sources claimed that the victims, whose identity remains unknown, had sought to attack Israelis with knife.

Thursday's deaths bring the toll for the Palestinians killed since the outbreak of a fresh wave of violence in the occupied territories to nearly 150. 

Tensions have been running high in the West Bank after Israel’s imposition in August 2015 of restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds (Jerusalem). Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam.

The restrictions have enraged Palestinians, who are also angry at increasing violence by Israeli settlers frequently storming the al-Aqsa Mosque. They say the Tel Aviv regime seeks to change the status quo of the compound.

On Thursday, top Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Palestinians will continue their Intifada (uprising) against Israel until all their objectives are achieved.

Haniyeh said the "sacrifices of the Palestinians and their heroic resistance in the face of Israel will eventually come to fruition."

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