Palestinian teen shot dead, Israeli child lightly hurt in rock-throwing as West Bank roils

A Palestinian teenager was shot dead, an Israeli 5-year-old was wounded in a rock-throwing attack and an attempted car-ramming attack was carried out in separate incidents across the West Bank on Thursday, as violence continued to soar in the territory.

The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that troops opened fire on a Palestinian who hurled stones at troops during a raid in the West Bank city of Nablus, after the Palestinian Authority’s health ministry had reported that 15-year-old Youssef Sameh Shtayyeh was killed by Israeli fire in the area.

In response to a query by The Times of Israel, the IDF said that “during operational activity by security forces in Nablus… a terrorist threw stones at the forces.”

“The troops carried out a suspect arrest procedure, at the end of which they opened fire at the terrorist,” the IDF said, adding that it is aware of reports that one Palestinian was killed.

Abood al-Aker, communications director for the municipality, told AFP that six Israeli army vehicles had arrived in Nablus in the morning.

He said the soldiers spoke to shop owners in the Rafidia district’s commercial area and shot the teenager as they were exiting the city: “We don’t know why they shot this kid on their way out,” he said.

In a separate incident Thursday morning, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said that a 5-year-old boy was lightly wounded by glass shards when an Israeli vehicle came under attack on Route 60 in the West Bank.

The IDF said it encircled the West Bank village of Madama amid the search for a Palestinian who hurled stones at the vehicle on the nearby highway.

“IDF soldiers are conducting searches for the terrorist and a temporary security cordon has been placed around the area of Madama,” the army said.

And separately, on Thursday, the IDF said that an attempted car-ramming attack was carried out against Israeli troops operating in the northern West Bank town of Burqa.

No injuries were caused.

“IDF troops launched a pursuit of the suspects,” the army said.

Tensions have been soaring across the West Bank in recent months, including a spike in violent settler attacks on Palestinians, which have become near-daily events. On Wednesday, a Palestinian man was shot dead in the West Bank town of Deir Dibwan, a day after settlers set fire to a home and two cars in the northern West Bank village of Beit Imrin, injuring eight people.

On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the European Union may impose sanctions on Israelis linked to violent settler attacks “in the coming days,” warning that Israel cannot be treated “as if nothing is happening” if its policies do not change.

Speaking to French broadcaster franceinfo, Barrot said he has been pushing “for a year” for sanctions against those responsible for the killings of Palestinians and arson attacks in the West Bank.

He noted the measures are currently blocked at the EU level by a Hungarian veto, but expresses optimism that “we will be able to adopt sanctions in the coming days.”

Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, a longtime close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was ousted from office in a vote earlier this month by incoming prime minister Peter Magyar, who has indicated that he will not keep up Budapest’s blanket veto on EU actions against Israel.