Israeli army kills three Palestinians in West Bank
In Beit Ommar one person died after being shot in the head. Two brothers aged 22 and 21 killed by the military near Ramallah. PM Netanyahu signs a coalition agreement with Avi Maoz, leader of Noam, an anti-Arab and nationalist party.
Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - At least three Palestinians have been killed in clashes overnight between Israeli security forces and demonstrators in the West Bank, the scene in recent weeks of an escalation that worries Pope Francis and the Church of the Holy Land.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, one person died after being hit in the head by a bullet fired by an Israeli soldier in Beit Ommar, near the southern town of Hebron, where there are major tensions between Jewish and Arab settlers.
In a note, the army says it opened fire at "rioters" who had previously thrown stones and explosive devices at the soldiers. A two-vehicle patrol that was garrisoning the Beit Ommar area and was blocked due to a technical problem with one of the vehicles was targeted.
A second clash took place in Kafr Ein, near Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority: two brothers aged 22 and 21, Jawad and Dhafer Abdul Rahman Rimawi, were killed by the Israeli army.
Among the first to comment on the night's violence are the leaders of Hamas, the radical Islamic movement in power in the Gaza Strip, who speak of an "escalation" imposed by Israel against which the Palestinians are ready to offer "growing resistance".
These threats fuel fears of a further trail of bloodshed in the West Bank, triggered by a series of attacks in Israel between March and April that triggered the Israeli army's response of over 2,000 raids. To date the toll is at least 125 Palestinian victims, the heaviest in seven years according to UN estimates.
Also fanning the flames of tension is the formation of the new Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, increasingly oriented towards the radical and religious right.
After the Ministry of Police was given to Itamar Ben-Gvir in these hours came the coalition agreement with Avi Maoz, leader of Noam, a religious-nationalist party, openly anti-Arab and anti-rights for the Lgbtq movement. He is expected to take over as deputy minister and lead an authority for 'Jewish identity'.
Outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid described him as a 'total lunatic', while Palestinian leaders warn of the dangers of a 'fascist coalition'. Criticism is also coming from the gay rights movement, which has been in Maoz's sights several times in the past because it is considered a 'threat' to the family.
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