Iran warns of ‘repercussions’ as West Bank heats up
Tehran condemns ‘inhumane’ Israeli actions after Palestinian teens are killed during riots
Iran’s foreign ministry warned Israel on Tuesday of unspecified “repercussions” over the deaths of Palestinian protesters amid bouts of violence in the West Bank.
Ministry spokesperson Marzieh Afkham condemned what she called “inhumane” Israeli actions in the West Bank after three Palestinian teenagers were killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers within 24 hours.
According to Iranian media, Afkham also “strongly warned about the repercussions of the Zionist regime’s desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Holy Quds (Jerusalem),” referring to the Temple Mount compound in Jerusalem.
A Palestinian youth was killed during violent clashes with Israel Defense Forces troops in the Beit Hanina neighborhood of East Jerusalem, Palestinian media reported Monday night.
Earlier Monday, a 13-year-old Palestinian was killed during a clash between protesters and Israeli security forces in the Aida refugee camp near the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Palestinian sources said. Abdel Rahman Abdullah was hit by a gunshot in the chest, Palestinian medical sources said. He died in the hospital shortly afterwards.
A funeral was held earlier in the day for an 18-year-old Palestinian who was killed in overnight clashes in Tulkarem during a violent riot.
The IDF said that an initial investigation into the death of the 13-year-old showed that he had been shot by a Ruger sniper rifle, according to the Walla news website. The rifle has recently been authorized for use by security forces in dispersing riots in East Jerusalem as well as the West Bank.
An investigation into the death of the 18-year-old in Tulkarem showed that troops in the area had fired a single live shot, Walla said. It was unclear whether that bullet hit the teen.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday evening ordered his security forces to crack down on Palestinian protests, saying he would not allow Israel to have the upper hand, Channel 2 reported.
Abbas’s orders come as clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces continued into Monday night, after a day of violence.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security cabinet meeting Monday evening to receive an update on the situation on the ground, and decide on further actions to combat the violence. Thousands of Israelis protested outside his official residence in Jerusalem on Monday evening, against what they were calling insufficient government action in the face of rising terrorism. Four Israelis have been killed by Palestinian terrorists since Thursday.
