A Hamas militant and another Palestinian by Israeli forces during violent clashes near the West Bank city of Jenin on Monday that happened when the army arrived to demolish the homes of two slain gunmen, according to Palestinian sources.
The deaths in Kafr-Dan village marked the first among Palestinians since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu retook office last week as the head of a hard-right government.
The Israeli army stated that it carried out the raid to raze the homes of two Palestinians who murdered one of its commanders in the West Bank last year before they were shot dead.
According to a statement by the army, troops in Kafr-Dan opened fire on Palestinians who were hurling rocks and firebombs and shooting at them. The statement mentioned no casualties among the Israelis.
One of the slain Palestinians, who was 17 years old, was identified by the Islamist organization Hamas as a member. Hamas is known to run the Gaza strip and has supporters in the West Bank.
In a statement released by Hamas, which opposes coexistence with Israel, the group vowed to “pursue resistance and confront the terrorism and fascism of the new Occupation government.”
No information was available right away regarding any factional allegiance of the second murdered Palestinian, a 21-year-old.
With at least 150 Palestinians and more than 20 Israelis killed, last year saw the bloodiest levels of violence in the West Bank in more than ten years, with much of it concentrated around Nablus and the neighbouring city of Jenin.
Mohammad Shtayyeh, the Palestinian prime minister, blamed Israel in Ramallah for any escalation that might be brought on by “acts of killing and daily incursions.”
