Two Palestinians were killed early Thursday in separate clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank, local media reports said.
In Nablus’s Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank, armed clashes erupted after Israeli troops entered to arrest wanted individuals.
A Palestinian man, identified as Samer Khaled from the nearby Ein Beit al-Ma’ refugee camp, was shot in the neck and later died, Palestinian media reports said.
Separately, reports said a second Palestinian was shot and killed by Israeli forces during clashes in the city of al-Bireh near Ramallah.
He was identified as Yazan Afaneh, from the nearby Qalandiya refugee camp, north of Jerusalem.
Footage circulated online showed Khaled’s and Afaneh’s bodies being brought to hospitals.
Martyr Yazan Afana was martyred in Al-Bireh (right) and Martyr Samer Khaled was martyred in Balata (north). pic.twitter.com/W9jrTebUP9
— Hassan Asleh | Hassan (@hassaneslayeh) September 1, 2022
There was no immediate comment from the Israel Defenses Forces on the clashes.
Tensions have escalated in the West Bank recently, with Israeli security forces stepping up arrest raids and operations following a deadly wave of terror attacks that left 19 people dead earlier this year.
# witness Clashes erupt between resistance fighters and the intrusive occupation army in Balata camp east #nablus. pic.twitter.com/aGnNUn4iKF
— Newpress | New Press (@NewpressPs) September 1, 2022
Early Wednesday, Israeli forces arrested three Palestinians linked to shooting attacks near a settlement, along with six other suspects during raids across the West Bank.
At least 85 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces so far this year, according to a tally from the Palestinian Authority health ministry. It included Palestinians who carried out attacks inside Israel, as well as several civilians, including a veteran journalist who apparently drove unwittingly into a battle zone, and teens who violently protested in response to Israel’s military operations in their neighborhoods.