Girl, 15, is killed in West Bank

ISRAELI forces have shot and killed a 15-year-old Palestinian girl during a raid in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said yesterday.

The Israeli military said soldiers opened fire on a vehicle that was accelerating towards them after they signalled for it to stop.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the girl as Fulla al-Masalmeh, saying she was killed a day before her 16th birthday. The shooting occurred in the city of Beitunia, where the Israeli military said troops were on an arrest raid.

Palestinians and rights groups accuse Israeli soldiers of using excessive force against Palestinians, without being held accountable. The military says it contends with complex, lifethreatening scenarios.

In a separate incident, Israeli police said a soldier shot a man in the city of Raanana, north of Tel Aviv. Police said the soldier suspected the man was about to carry out an attack. Israeli media said the man was later pronounced dead.

Israeli-Palestinian tensions have been high for months. More than 130 Palestinians have been killed in fighting in the West Bank and east Jerusalem this year, making 2022 the deadliest year since 2006. The Israeli army says most of the Palestinians killed have been militants.