Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man Friday during clashes in the Bab al-Zawiya neighborhood of Hebron, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
An Israeli military spokesman said the man had been about to throw a fire-bomb at the troops, who were responding to an immediate threat when they shot him. He added that the incident would be reviewed, not yet confirming the details given by the Palestinian Health Ministry.
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Palestinian rioters, IDF soldiers clash in Ramallah, West Bank on Friday, March 9
(צילום: AFP)
Bab al-Zawiya lies on the seam between the Israeli and Palestinian parts of the city.
Meanwhile, at the At-Tuwani village in the south Hebron Hills of the Hebron Governorate, The IDF and police are investigating a suspected hate crime in which extreme right-wing activists smashed windows of Palestinian-owned vehicles.
In recent weeks more than 10 similar incidents have been reported in the West Bank.
US-led peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians broke down in 2014 and a new push by President Donald Trump’s administration to restart negotiations has shown little progress so far.
Tensions between the sides have risen since Trump declared on December 6 that he recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Outraged Palestinian leaders said Washington could no longer take the lead in peace efforts but Israel has said the United States should remain peace-broker.
Trump’s announcement and the planned move in May of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem—home to sites holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians—reversed decades of US policy on the city. Its status is one of the biggest obstacles to reaching a peace agreement.
The Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. Israel says the entire city is its indivisible and eternal capital.
Elior Levy and Yoav Zitun contributed to this report.