Israeli forces kill two Palestinians in West Bank, wound one in Jerusalem

Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces late on Sunday, the Palestinian health ministry announced.

They were identified as 17-year-old Motasem Atallah, killed inside the Israeli settlement of Tekoa, near the village of Taqoa west of Bethlehem, and 27-year-old Mahmoud Arram killed at an Israeli checkpoint south of Tulkarem, north of the West Bank.

BLOODBATH. This evening:

1) A Palestinian man shot & killed at fence near Tulkarem, N. West Bank.

2) A Palestinian shot inside an IOF post at Damascus Gate, E. Jerusalem.

3) An Israeli settler shot at 4 Palestinians near Teqou' settlement S. Bethlehem, killing one Palestinian. pic.twitter.com/OQRjEWwnGW

— Jalal (@JalalAK_jojo) May 8, 2022

Atallah was a high school student from the neighbouring village of Harmalah, near Taqoa. The local high school mourned him as one of its students.

According to Israeli media, Atallah had climbed the fence of the Israeli settlement carrying a knife, and was shot dead by an Israeli settler armed with an automatic rifle, whom the Israeli interior minister, Aylet Shaked praised as "a hero".

"Motasem was a good student, always smiling and befriending all his classmates," his school's social instructor told The New Arab. "He had a calm and polite behaviour. He was the eldest of his siblings and wanted to help them after graduation." 

Atallah's father described him as "a calm, polite young man" to The New Arab. "He had big dreams and loved olive-wood handcraft, traditional of our region, and even began to learn it beside the school," he said.

"He didn't talk much politics at home, but like all his age-peers he was moved by the situation," the victim's father added.

17-year-old Palestinian teen, Mutassim Muhammad Talib Atallah, was shot dead by Israeli settler's bullets outside "Teko" settlement, east of Bethlehem. pic.twitter.com/SpbXxhu0HD

— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) May 8, 2022

Meanwhile, south of Tulkarem, Israeli forces also shot and killed 27-year-old Mahmoud Arram near an Israeli checkpoint separating the occupied West Bank and Israel.

The Israeli army said in a brief statement that a Palestinian, who did not hold a working permit in Israel, tried to climb the fence into Israel before being killed by Israeli forces.

Arram was originally from Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. His family told Palestinian media that he had travelled to the West Bank two years ago after obtaining an Israeli exit permit from the Gaza Strip, for medical treatment.

"He received treatment in his eye for an injury caused by a work accident," his uncle told the Palestinian agency Shehab News.

"He worked in construction in the West Bank and sent money to sustain his family in Khan Younis," the uncle said, adding that the family was "in a state of shock, hoping to receive a phone call that denies the news."

Attached is the picture of another Palestinian martyr; Mahmoud Sami Aram from Gaza, who was killed by the Israeli occupation forces at Jbara checkpoint in Tulkarem earlier this day. pic.twitter.com/5V9cu0O3QT

— Samah. Salah (@SamahSa09464369) May 9, 2022

Also on Sunday, Israeli police shot and critically wounded a Palestinian at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. He was identified as 19-year-old Natheer Marzouq, from the village of Abwein near Ramallah.

A video circulating social media shows incidents of violence inside an Israeli police watch cabin overlooking the Damascus Gate square and gunshot can be heard.

According to Israeli police reports quoted by Israeli media, Israeli policemen had taken the young man into the watch cabin for interrogation, when he stabbed and wounded one of the policemen in the neck.

Marzouq's lawyer told Palestinian media that he was in a critical condition and was detained at the Israeli Hadassa hospital in Jerusalem.

Israeli occupation forces shoot Palestinian guy in Damascus Gate area in Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/Rxbg05z6Ye

— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) May 8, 2022

Israeli forces increased control measures in the West Bank following the killing of three Israelis in Elad, east of Tel Aviv, in a stabbing attack by two Palestinians from the West Bank on Thursday.

Israeli forces captured the two Palestinians on Sunday and raided the village of Rummanah west of Jenin, the hometown of the two men.

The situation in the West Bank and Jerusalem escalated during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in April, with Israeli extremist settlers staging storming rounds in the Al-Aqsa compound, and Israeli police violently evacuated Palestinians from the sanctuary.

While Israel halted any aggressions by Israeli settlers during Ramadan's last week, Israeli settlers resumed storming the compound last week, raising fears of a new escalation.

On Thursday, the Palestinian foreign ministry called in a statement on the UN security council to "stop Israeli escalations".

"The UN Security Council's abandonment of its responsibilities and failure to fulfil its obligations has become a cover for the Israeli racist and colonial violations and crimes against our people," he added.