Palestinians Say Israeli Troops Kill Teen in West Bank

A demonstrator brandishing a Palestinian national flag walks past Israeli troops, during confrontations with them following a protest against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the occupied-West Bank, in the village of Kfar Qaddum, near the Jewish settlement of Kedumim, on June 9, 2023. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
A demonstrator brandishing a Palestinian national flag walks past Israeli troops, during confrontations with them following a protest against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the occupied-West Bank, in the village of Kfar Qaddum, near the Jewish settlement of Kedumim, on June 9, 2023. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
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Palestinians Say Israeli Troops Kill Teen in West Bank

A demonstrator brandishing a Palestinian national flag walks past Israeli troops, during confrontations with them following a protest against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the occupied-West Bank, in the village of Kfar Qaddum, near the Jewish settlement of Kedumim, on June 9, 2023. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
A demonstrator brandishing a Palestinian national flag walks past Israeli troops, during confrontations with them following a protest against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the occupied-West Bank, in the village of Kfar Qaddum, near the Jewish settlement of Kedumim, on June 9, 2023. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)

The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank city of Qalqilya Thursday, where the military reported that troops fired at rioters.

Israeli police, meanwhile, said an elderly Israeli man died after a carjacking near the same city.

Naeem Abdullah Samha, 15, was killed "by occupation (Israeli army) bullets" in Qalqilya, the Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah said in a statement, AFP reported.

The Palestinian official news agency Wafa, citing local sources, reported that Samha was shot in the chest.

He was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead of his wounds, Wafa said, which gave no reason for the shooting.

The military said troops had come under attack from rioters.

"A violent riot was instigated during army counterterrorism activity in the Qalqilya area during which suspects hurled stones and glass bottles toward the soldiers," a statement said.

It said soldiers "responded with fire. A hit was identified on one of the rioters."

In another development at the entrance to Qalqilya earlier on Thursday, a 78-year-old Israeli man was carjacked by several suspects and later died of his injuries, Israeli police said.

It is unclear if the two incidents in the area were connected.

The West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has for more than a year experienced a rise in deadly incidents, but particularly since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on October 7.

Israel has carried out near-daily raids in the West Bank in what it says is a bid to thwart militant groups.

At least 547 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli troops or settlers since the Israel-Hamas war broke out, according to Palestinian officials.

Attacks by Palestinians have killed at least 14 Israelis in the West Bank over the same period, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

The West Bank is home to about 490,000 Israeli settlers who live in communities considered illegal under international law.



Iran to Support Hezbollah Militarily if Israel Launches War on Lebanon

An Israeli firefighter works to extinguish fires ignited by missiles launched by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon (Reuters)
An Israeli firefighter works to extinguish fires ignited by missiles launched by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon (Reuters)
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Iran to Support Hezbollah Militarily if Israel Launches War on Lebanon

An Israeli firefighter works to extinguish fires ignited by missiles launched by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon (Reuters)
An Israeli firefighter works to extinguish fires ignited by missiles launched by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon (Reuters)

Iran announced its readiness to support Hezbollah militarily in the event that Israel launches a large-scale war on Lebanon.

An advisor to the Iranian leader, Kamal Kharrazi, said that his country “will do its best to support [Hezbollah] if Israel launched a large-scale war against Lebanon,” the official Lebanese National News Agency reported.

In response to a question on whether Iran would support the party militarily in case of a large-scale conflict erupting in Lebanon, Kharrazi, who also serves as head of the Iranian Strategic Council for International Relations, indicated that “in such a case, Tehran will not have any other option.”

He continued: “We will have no choice but to support [Hezbollah] with all the means and capabilities available to us.”

The Iranian position comes in conjunction with Israeli threats to expand the war, and the Israeli army’s preparations in the north for a wide-scale confrontation in Lebanon.

“We are determined to continue fighting until the war goals of destroying the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, the return of the kidnappers, and the safe return of residents in the north and south to their homes are achieved,” the Israeli army said, adding: “We are strengthening preparations for war on the northern front against Hezbollah.”

However, these statements come in parallel with other leaks that suggest that the army was not ready for a large-scale war. An article published by the New York Times said that Israeli generals believe that their forces, which are “underequipped for further fighting after Israel’s longest war in decades... need time to recuperate in case a land war breaks out against Hezbollah.”

“A truce with Hamas could also make it easier to reach a deal with Hezbollah, according to the officials, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters,” the NY Times article read.

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that a house in Kiryat Shmona was hit by projectiles fired from Lebanon, while Israeli attacks in South Lebanon killed a farmer who had remained in his town despite the onslaught.

The NNA said that an Israeli drone attacked the town of Taybeh in South Lebanon with three missiles, with one of them hitting an electricity transformer.