2 Palestinians killed in overnight riots in West Bank
16, 18-year-old Palestinians shot and killed by IDF in riots; army says that protesters opened fire at security forces.
Security sources in the West Bank reported Saturday morning that two Palestinians, age 16 and 18, were killed overnight by live fire from IDF soldiers during riots in protest of Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip, now in its 19th day.
According to the report, the 16-year-old was killed and five others were wounded in Beit Fajjar just south of Bethlehem. The IDF said that 150 Palestinians had been at the scene throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at security forces and burning tires in the streets.
The 18-year-old was said to have been killed at the Jalama barrier next to Jenin during a protest of some 700 people. According to the IDF, the protesters at Jalama opened fire on soldiers and police at the scene, and threw Molotov cocktails and burning tires at them.
On Friday, five Palestinians were killed in the West Bank in shootings involving both Israeli forces and a civilian who appeared to be a Jewish settler, Palestinian medics and witnesses said.
Witnesses said the person believed to be a settler shot dead one man and wounded three others in Huwara near the city of Nablus as a protest against the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The victims were walking along a main street used by both Palestinian and settlers.
Clashes between the Border Police and Palestinian youths throwing Molotov cocktails and fireworks escalated. A Reuters photographer witnessed the forces shoot and kill another man.
The casualties in Huwara were identified as Khaled Azmi Khaled Yousef, 18, and Tayeb Abu Shehada, 22.
