Two Palestinians Martyred By ‘Israeli’ Forces in Northern West Bank

By Staff, Agencies

The ‘Israeli’ occupation forces killed two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in a further escalation of their aggression in the occupied territories.

Imad Abu Rashid, 47, was fatally shot in his head and chest at an ‘Israeli’ checkpoint, south of the city of Nablus. The second Palestinian was in the same car at the time of shooting.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, another Palestinian was critically injured in the ‘Israeli’ attack. In a statement, the ‘Israeli’ military claims its forces shot at two suspected vehicles after a passing car opened fire at the checkpoint. But the statement doesn’t mention any casualties among troops. The Zionist regime has stepped up its crackdown across the occupied territories in recent months under different pretexts.

The victim was fatally shot near the Huwwara checkpoint, one of the main exits of the city of Nablus.

Two more Palestinians were also wounded during the ‘Israeli’ assault.

The casualties were caused amid an ongoing siege of the city by the occupying regime.

The regime began enforcing the lockdown after reported killing of an ‘Israeli’ trooper earlier this month. The sweeping closure has restricted travel in and out of the city for some 200,000 Palestinians.

Since imposing the siege, the forces have been carrying out daily raids throughout the city to hunt down those, who were responsible for the reported death on October 11 of the trooper that the regime says was caused by The Lions' Den -- an emerging group of Palestinian resistance fighters.

On Tuesday alone, the Zionist regime killed five Palestinians during a massive search and arrest operation throughout Nablus.

At least 176 Palestinians have been martyred at the hands of ‘Israeli’ occupation forces in the illegally occupied West Bank and besieged Gaza Strip since the beginning of the year, including 51 Palestinians, who died during the Zionist regime’s three-day assault on Gaza in August, according to the Palestinian Authority's health ministry.

Local and international rights groups have condemned the Tel Aviv regime’s excessive use of force and “shoot-to-kill policy” against Palestinians.