Palestinians Say Israeli Troops Kill Two in West Bank Raids

Palestinian mourners carry the body of Ahmad Aslan, killed during an Israeli military raid in the Qalandia refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank, on July 24, 2024 at a hospital in Ramallah. (Photo by Zain JAAFAR / AFP)
Palestinian mourners carry the body of Ahmad Aslan, killed during an Israeli military raid in the Qalandia refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank, on July 24, 2024 at a hospital in Ramallah. (Photo by Zain JAAFAR / AFP)
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Palestinians Say Israeli Troops Kill Two in West Bank Raids

Palestinian mourners carry the body of Ahmad Aslan, killed during an Israeli military raid in the Qalandia refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank, on July 24, 2024 at a hospital in Ramallah. (Photo by Zain JAAFAR / AFP)
Palestinian mourners carry the body of Ahmad Aslan, killed during an Israeli military raid in the Qalandia refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank, on July 24, 2024 at a hospital in Ramallah. (Photo by Zain JAAFAR / AFP)

Palestinian officials said Israeli troops killed two men, including a customs officer, in separate raids in the West Bank on Wednesday, the latest violence to rock the occupied Palestinian territory.

The raids were carried out before dawn in Qalandiya refugee camp and the town of Tubas, residents and officials said.

When contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it was "looking into" reports of the two deaths.

Palestinian sources identified the men killed as Ahmad Nidal Aslan, 19, from Qalandiya, and Abdul Nasser Muhannad Sarhan, 23, from Tubas.

Residents of Qalandiya said Aslan was killed when Israeli forces shot him after they entered the town to demolish the home of Mohammad Manasra, accused by Israel of carrying out a deadly attack on a West Bank settlement in February.

Clashes erupted after the troops blew up the second floor of the building. Six men were wounded, they added.

"At dawn, the occupation soldiers fired two bullets at Ahmad. He was taken to hospital where he died," a resident told AFP, declining to be identified for safety reasons.

Further north in Tubas, the Palestinian health ministry said Israeli troops shot dead Sarhan and wounded two others.

"The Israeli army raided the town of Tubas at dawn and arrested two young men," a resident of the town told AFP, also declining to be identified.

"As they were leaving, they fired at Sarhan and another young man."

The Palestinian customs authority said Sarhan was one of its officers.

The health ministry said the death toll from an Israeli raid on the town of Tulkarem on Tuesday had risen to six after a Palestinian shot by troops died of his wounds.



Sisi: Regional, Int’l Reality Imposes ‘Complex Challenges’ on Egypt

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egyptian Presidency)
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Sisi: Regional, Int’l Reality Imposes ‘Complex Challenges’ on Egypt

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Tuesday that the current regional and international reality imposes new challenges and complex situations on Egypt, but then affirmed that his country will overcome this turbulent phase.

In a speech on the occasion of the 72nd anniversary of the July 23 Revolution, Sisi spoke of the repercussions of the regional wars now raging in the Gaza Strip and Sudan.

He mentioned the situation in the region such as wars, conflicts, civil strife, state fragmentation, institutional collapse, humanitarian catastrophes, famine outbreaks, and massive displacement.

“These unprecedented circumstances add tremendous burdens on Egypt, which can only be alleviated by my firm belief in the strength, resilience, unity, and cohesion of our great people who stand as a single structure, supporting each other, in the face of adversity,” Sisi said.

He affirmed that Egypt will overcome this turbulent phase, and continue its path towards progress, development, as well as building the nation.

“Egypt has kept pace with the changes of time, opening to the world and striving to enhance its economic, investment, urban, and industrial capabilities,” Sisi said.

He added that his country has also integrated into the global trade system while focusing on protecting the national economy as much as possible from the fluctuations and shocks of the global economy.

“This has been achieved through comprehensive and effective systems, offering the necessary social protection,” Sisi said.

The Egyptian President also renewed his country’s support for the Palestinians, affirming intensively working to support their legitimate right to an independent and sovereign state.