Again, Israeli Soldiers Kill Two Palestinians: One Woman, The Other Was Accused Of Armed Assault

Ilustrasi Palestina. (Wikimedia Commons / Ahmed Abu Hameeda)

JAKARTA - Two Palestinians died at the hands of Israeli soldiers in separate incidents, as violence has escalated in recent times, with the Palestinian Authority denying Israel's allegations.

Violence in areas where Palestinians seek statehood has simmered since US-sponsored peace talks stalled in 2014. It has flared up again in recent weeks, with fatal Palestinian attacks inside Israel and deadly Israeli strikes.

Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers broke out after dark, when the military entered the village of Yabad to destroy the home of a Palestinian gunman, who had shot dead five people in an Israeli town on March 30.

Medics and residents said villagers threw stones at the soldiers who opened fire on them.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said one person was killed and two others were seriously injured. It was not immediately clear whether they all took part in the direct confrontation.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military did not immediately comment on the attack, but confirmed its soldiers were there to destroy the gunman's house.

In a separate incident, the Israeli army said "an assailant armed with a knife advanced on an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldier who was carrying out routine security activities" near the village of Al Aroub.

"The soldiers responded with live fire," he said.

A hospital near the Palestinian city of Hebron confirmed the woman's death. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the killing as a 'field execution'.

"He was on his way to his job and there was no incident there or any danger to the criminals," the ministry said in a statement.