Two Israeli officers injured, Palestinian youth shot dead in alleged stabbing incident in al-Quds

Israeli military forces have shot and killed a young Palestinian man over an alleged stabbing attack in the Old City of occupied al-Quds, which has been the scene of angry protests over forced expulsions of Palestinian families from their ancestral homes.

Israeli media outlets alleged that the 19-year-old Palestinian, whose identity was not immediately known, stabbed and moderately injured an Israeli police officer at Bab al-Huta neighborhood in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of al-Quds early on Sunday morning before he was shot and killed by officers.

An additional police officer was also injured during the purported attack. Both of the police officers were transferred to a nearby hospital.

Israeli forces suppress protests in West Bank, al-Quds

Israeli forces have suppressed several protests held across the occupied West Bank and in East al-Quds, leaving dozens of Palestinians injured.

Palestinian eyewitnesses said Israeli soldiers shot the young man and left him bleeding helplessly on the ground until he succumbed to his wounds.

They added that the soldiers then cordoned off the entire area, set up checkpoints and closed all gates leading to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Hamas reaction

The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement praised the heroic operation in the Old City of al-Quds, and described it as a natural response to the ongoing crimes of the occupying Israeli regime against Palestinians.

“The holy city (of al-Quds) is fighting to expel occupiers and preserve its Palestinian-Arab identity. This is an open battle with the occupation, which will not stop unless the primary goals of our nation, namely liberation of our lands, return of refugees and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital, are achieved,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement.

He stressed that “the blood of today’s martyr, which was shed at dawn on the soil of the Holy City, will preserve its identity and protect it against invaders and all attempts to seize it.”

“Such great sacrifices, which were embodied in today’s martyrdom, represent the Palestinians’ willingness to pay the price of cleansing the holy sites from the impurity of the Israeli occupation.”

Hamas calls for intensified resistance against Israeli terrorism after 3 Palestinians killed in less than 24 hours

Hamas says the murder of three Palestinians in the West Bank in less than 24 hours should be met with intensified resistance.

Last week, the secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement called upon all Palestinian fighters to defend the occupied city of al-Quds and the scared al-Aqsa Mosque against increasing attacks by extremist Jewish settlers and Israeli military forces.

Speaking at a ceremony entitled “Resistance is the path to liberation” in Gaza City on February 28, Ziyad al-Nakhalah stated that demolition of Palestinian-owned homes across the West Bank and the killing of innocent people require Palestinian resistance fighters not to hesitate for a moment to fight the Israeli enemy and resist the regime’s actions through all available means.

Israeli forces must end use of excessive force, live ammunition against Palestinians, EU urges

The European Union has voiced concern over the use of excessive force and live ammunition against Palestinian civilians across the occupied West Bank.

He said it is a duty to engage Israeli military forces anywhere in the occupied West Bank, and disempower the troops.

The Islamic Jihad chief also stressed the need for mobilization of Palestinians against the Israeli occupation, stating that such a move requires participation and cooperation of all political and social forces.

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