Israeli forces kill one and injure several in the occupied West Bank

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have reported increased violence and discrimination since October 2023. Israeli forces have killed at least one person and injured several others in violent incidents across the territory. On Monday, troops opened fire on a vehicle carrying three Palestinians near Bani Naim, east of Hebron. The Israeli military stated that the car had rammed one of its vehicles, resulting in one Palestinian dead and two others seriously injured, according to Palestinian officials. This incident is part of a broader rise in violence in the territory ahead of Israeli elections later this month. Reports indicate efforts to prevent Palestinian politicians and parties from participating in the elections. In another incident near Ramallah, the military reported an encounter involving two Palestinians, while Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the Imriha area southwest of Jenin, injuring three people. The Palestinian General Authority of Civil Affairs identified the deceased as 38-year-old Hossam Alaa al-Din Abdul Jabbar Walad Ali, stating that Israeli forces withheld his body. The Israeli army, in a post on X, claimed that the three Palestinians were "driving suspiciously" and attempted a car-ramming attack against soldiers. They reported that the vehicle accelerated towards an Israeli military vehicle before soldiers opened fire. In Ramun, near Ramallah, the Israeli military dispatched troops after reports of a vehicle being set on fire and two "terrorists" in the area, one of whom was allegedly carrying a knife. The military stated that one of the Palestinians was "neutralised by an Israeli civilian," without elaborating on the term. Palestinian authorities reported that Ahmad Mazen Kahla was critically injured by Israeli gunfire in the area. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported treating three individuals injured in an attack by Israeli settlers in the Imriha area and transporting them to the hospital. Sources from Anadolu news agency indicated that a Palestinian suffered a broken leg, another sustained a hand injury, and an elderly man was beaten and pepper-sprayed. The Palestinian Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission reported that 66 Palestinians have been killed in at least 14,742 attacks in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October 2023. The attacks have also resulted in damage or destruction of 147,111 trees, including 100,485 olive trees, due to various forms of assault.