Palestinian shot dead in West Bank

APalestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces near the flashpoint city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank yesterday during what Israeli officials said was an attack.

Palestinian official news agency Wafa identified the dead man as Omar Awwad, 27, and said he was shot by Israeli forces near Hebron.

The health ministry confirmed he had died after being taken to hospital.

Israeli police said a man was shot after driving his car towards border police at a checkpoint.

A statement said Israeli forces had reached Awwad’s village Idna to take action against illegal burning of copper taking place there.

“A Palestinian car driven by the suspect tried to escape the security forces, the car hit the supervisor’s car and headed toward a border police officer who was securing the event,” a statement said.

“The officer fired at the car, hitting the man suspected of attempting to run him over,” the police statement said, confirming Awwad’s death.

In a separate incident in the northern West Bank, a Palestinian car drove toward Israeli security forces involved in enforcing construction laws.

Border policemen fired in the air and apprehended the driver, a 30-year-old resident of the village Jiftlik. Later yesterday, Israeli forces entered the centre of the city of Ramallah, home of the Palestinian government, for the second day. Forces closed several roads near the Palestinian finance ministry, firing tear gas and sound grenades at protesters hurling rocks.

Israeli forces in the West Bank have been on high alert since Sunday evening, when seven Israelis were wounded in a shooting at the entrance to a West Bank settlement.

A woman and her prematurely delivered baby were still in serious condition yesterday, a hospital spokeswoman said

“I wish a swift recovery to all those wounded,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday at a ceremony marking the operation of a new junction in the West Bank.

“We will chase down the perpetrators and settle the account with them.”

Netanyahu said the Palestinian attacks were aimed at forcing Israelis to leave the West Bank.

Palestinians whose houses were destroyed during 2014 war, sit at a United Nations-run school where they try to take refuge to protest against UNRWA’s decision to stop paying rents, in the northern Gaza Strip, yesterday.