Israeli troops kill Palestinian in West Bank raid, Palestinian official says

Israeli troops killed a Palestinian during a raid in the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian official said, and the army said soldiers had shot at suspected militants who fled arrest, report Reuters.

The West Bank, among areas where Palestinians seek statehood, has seen a surge in violence over the last year as Israel stepped up incursions following a spate of lethal street attacks in its cities.

The army said troops operating in Aqabat Jabr, a refugee camp near the city of Jericho, detained a suspected militant and opened fire on two people who tried to escape the area, hitting at least one of them.

“During the activity, two suspects were spotted fleeing the scene. The soldiers responded with live fire. Hits were identified,” the army statement said. It did not elaborate on why the two Palestinians were targeted.

READ: Palestinian groups denounce Israeli raid on Al-Aqsa prayer area

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted the governor of Jericho as saying that a man was fatally shot and three others wounded by the troops.

The statement from the governor said the army had not handed over the man’s body to his family.

Separately, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Club advocacy group, said Israeli security forces had carried out 30 arrests in the West Bank overnight and early on Monday.