News / Palestine

Israeli forces kill Palestinian youth in occupied West Bank

Thursday, 20 July 2017 12:32 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 20 July 2017 12:49 PM ]

This photo shows the aftermath of an alleged stabbing attack near the Palestinian town of Tuqu’ in the central part of the occupied West Bank on July 20, 2017. (Photo by Quds Press International News Agency)

Israeli military forces have reportedly shot dead a young Palestinian man in the central part of the West Bank for allegedly attempting to carry out a stabbing attack as tensions remain high in the occupied Palestinian territories in the wake of the Tel Aviv regime’s crackdown on Palestinian worshippers wishing to pray at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Israeli media outlets claimed that the 20-year-old Palestinian, identified as Mohammed Hassan Tannouh, was shot after he purportedly approached Israeli police officers stationed at a security checkpoint near the town of Tuqu’, located 12 kilometers southeast of Bethlehem, on Thursday afternoon, Arabic-language Safa news agency reported.

Israeli police later said in a statement that no police officers had been injured in the alleged attack.

The body of the slain Palestinian man has reportedly been transferred to the military camp at Gush Etzion settlement.

Mohammed Hassan Tannouh (Photo by Palestinian Ma'an news agency)

Also on Thursday, dozens of Muslim tourists joined prayers held at the entrance of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds to show solidarity with Palestinian worshipers, who have opposed increased Israeli security measures at the holy site, including the installment of metal detectors and cameras, following a deadly shooting attack late last week.

On July 14, three Palestinians opened fire on Israeli forces at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, killing two of them before being shot dead.

The occupied Palestinian territories have witnessed new tensions ever since Israeli forces introduced restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem al-Quds in August 2015.

More than 300 Palestinians have lost their lives at the hands of Israeli forces in the ongoing tensions since the beginning of October 2015.

The Tel Aviv regime has tried to change the demographic makeup of Jerusalem al-Quds over the past decades by constructing settlements, destroying historical sites and expelling the local Palestinian population. Palestinians say the Israeli measures are aimed at paving the way for the Judaization of the city.

The al-Aqsa Mosque compound is a flashpoint Islamic site, which is also holy to Jews. The mosque is Islam’s third holiest site after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

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