Palestinian assailants shoot useless Israeli guard in West Financial institution

JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinian assailants shot and killed a safety guard on the entrance of a Jewish settlement within the occupied West Financial institution late Friday, the Israeli army mentioned, in a recent assault that might additional gasoline Israeli-Palestinian tensions which have soared up to now two months.

The Israeli army mentioned early Saturday that the attackers arrived at Ariel settlement entrance and shot the guard in his publish earlier than fleeing the scene. The army launched a pursuit of the suspects within the West Financial institution.

In a separate incident, Israeli troops shot and killed a 27-year-old Palestinian man throughout clashes at Azoun village close to the city of Qalqilya early Saturday, the Palestinian Well being Ministry mentioned.

A string of Palestinian assaults in Israel and the West Financial institution over the previous two months have left 14 Israelis useless.

Hamas, the militant group ruling Gaza, praised the assault however stopped wanting claiming accountability for it.

“The operation proves that revolution is raging everywhere in the West Financial institution,” mentioned spokesman Hazem Qassem. “It is a sensible implementation of our folks’s declaration that Jerusalem is a crimson line.”

Tensions elevated this month at a significant Jerusalem holy web site, with Palestinian worshippers clashing each day with Israeli police. The positioning comprises Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest web site in Islam, and growing numbers of Palestinians go there to wish throughout the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Earlier Friday, Palestinians hurled stones and Israeli police fired rubber-coated bullets on the web site, which has seen a wave of unrest in current weeks.

The police say Palestinians contained in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound started hurling stones and fireworks round daybreak within the path of a closely guarded gate that results in the Western Wall, the holiest place the place Jews can pray. The police superior into the compound, firing rubber-coated bullets.

The violence ended round an hour later after different Palestinians within the compound intervened, convincing the stone throwers and the police to tug again.

The Palestinian Purple Crescent emergency service mentioned greater than 40 folks have been wounded, with 22 requiring remedy at native hospitals. It mentioned Israeli forces prevented first responders from coming into the compound throughout the clashes, and that one among its medics was overwhelmed by police.

The police didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark, however mentioned in a press release that they had arrested three folks.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is constructed on a hilltop that’s the most sacred web site for Jews, who confer with it because the Temple Mount as a result of it was the situation of the Jewish temples in antiquity. It has lengthy been a flashpoint within the Israeli-Palestinian battle.

In current weeks, Israeli police and Palestinians have clashed there on various events. Israeli authorities accuse Hamas of inciting violence and say safety forces have been compelled to intervene to halt stone-throwing.

The Palestinians say the presence of Israeli police on the web site, and common visits by growing numbers of nationalist and non secular Jews, are a violation of decades-old casual preparations governing the positioning. The visits have been halted final week for the final 10 days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which concludes this weekend.