Palestinian killed in clashes with IDF near Bethlehem
Army says forces came under assault during arrest operation, incident comes days after two Jenin residents shot dead in similar circumstances
Judah Ari Gross is The Times of Israel's religions and Diaspora affairs correspondent.
Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian during clashes in a West Bank refugee camp south of Jerusalem on Friday morning, officials said.
According to the military, during an arrest raid in the Deheishe refugee camp, outside Bethlehem, Palestinians began throwing large rocks and explosive devices at the troops.
In response, the soldiers opened fire “in order to remove the threat,” the army said.
According to Palestinian officials, a resident of the refugee camp was shot and killed. He was identified as 21-year-old Ismail Hamamda by the official Palestinian Authority news outlet Wafa.
Military officials said they were aware of the Palestinian reports, but would not comment on their veracity.
No soldiers were reported injured, the army said.
The clashes in Deheishe occurred at approximately the same time as a shooting attack by Palestinian terrorists near the Temple Mount complex in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Two Israelis were seriously injured in the Jerusalem attack and a third was lightly wounded by shrapnel when gunmen opened fire at them just outside the holy site.
The terrorists ran back into the Temple Mount before being shot and killed by police officers who were at the scene. One of the assailants, who had been forced to the ground by police officers, was shot dead when he suddenly jumped up and tried to stab an officer, police said.
The Friday morning clashes in Deheishe also came two days after Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians under similar circumstances during an operation in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank.
According to the IDF, on Wednesday, Palestinian gunmen “opened fire at [IDF] forces and assailants hurled explosive devices at the forces.
Then, too, military officials said they had received reports of a Palestinian killed in the firefight.
The army said details of the incident were under investigation.