2 Palestinians killed by Israel, settlers in West Bank

Two Palestinians were killed this morning by Israel in separate occasions in the occupied West Bank, reported Wafa news agency.

Bakir Hashash, 21, was shot in the head after the Israeli occupation forces conducted a raid on the Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, Palestinian medical and security sources confirmed.

Hashash’s mother, relatives and friends gathered at Rafidia Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds.

He was the first Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces in 2022.

Israel claims that the raids it carries out are essential for intelligence purposes, but rights groups have slammed the practice, insisting that the goal is to oppress and intimidate the Palestinian population and increase state control. Like checkpoints and the illegal Separation Wall, the raids are part of the DNA of the occupation, say critics.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ security forces organised a military funeral march for Hashash in Nablus, attended by hundreds of Palestinians. With the president saying: “All sides must bear responsibility before the situation spirals out of control.”

Rights group: Israel killed 313 Palestinians in 2021

Meanwhile, an Israeli settler ran his car over a 25-year-old Palestinian at the Israeli Beit Sira checkpoint this morning, killing him instantly, Wafa reported.

The man, identified as Mustafa Falaneh from the village of Safa, was travelling to work. According to a relative, Falaneh, father to a one-year-old girl, was crossing the street when he was struck by the settler.

Israeli settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the occupied West Bank. Occupation authorities rarely take action against it.

According to the Israeli human rights movement, Peace Now, there are about 666,000 settlers, 145 large settlements and 140 outposts in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. All are illegal under international law.