Bethlehem, West Bank – Two Palestinian youths were killed by Israeli forces south of Bethlehem in the West Bank on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The Ministry stated that the General Authority of Civil Affairs informed them of the deaths of two 18-year-old males, one from Hebron and the other from Beit Ummar, following gunfire by Israeli forces near Bethlehem. The incident occurred south of the city.
Local sources reported that Israeli forces opened fire on young men at a junction near a settlement south of Bethlehem. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear.
Earlier in the day, a journalist and a child were also reportedly injured by Israeli fire near the Nur Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkarm. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society stated that its crews treated two individuals in the area, a photojournalist and a 12-year-old child, for shrapnel wounds to the neck. Both were transferred to a hospital for treatment.
These incidents followed a peaceful demonstration organized by residents of the Nur Shams camp near the Saif Abu Libdeh roundabout at the camp entrance. The demonstrators were calling for their return to their homes, from which they have been forcibly displaced for 283 consecutive days, amid a strict siege and the demolition of hundreds of homes and the destruction of roads and infrastructure within the camp.
The situation in the West Bank remains tense, with frequent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces. The killings are likely to further escalate tensions in the region.
DZWatch will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.
