Ramallah: 21-year-old Yahya Yousri Taha was shot dead by Israeli occupation forces on Thursday during clashes in the occupied West Bank village of Qatanna.
Israeli occupation forces declared the entire village a closed military zone and sealed off all exits so it was difficult to understand exact details of what was happening. Sources speaking to Gulf News said that occupation forces were raiding homes and made multiple arrests.
Dozens of Palestinians were badly beaten by soldiers and many others experienced breathing difficulties due to tear gas inhalation.
Taha was shot in head during the ensuing violence. Israeli occupation soldiers prevented medics from reaching him. He eventually bled to death.
Qatanna, which lies in the occupied Jerusalem governorate, has been the recent target for Israeli forces who claim that villagers have been hugely involved in stabbing attacks against occupation soldiers.
Four villagers have been shot dead in two months, suspected of being involved in stabbing attacks.
The Israeli regime has confiscated huge lands belonging to the village to illegally construct the Jewish colony of Har Adar, which would link up with the nearby Givat Zeev colony.
Jewish colonies in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law and major stumbling blocks to peace efforts since they are built on land Palestinians see as part of their future state.
Violence since October 1 has left over 100 Palestinians dead, including a Palestinian in 1948 areas, as well as 17 Israelis.
On Tuesday, Israeli leaders approved a measure that would deport families of Palestinian attackers to Gaza. The move was widely condemned by Palestinians and rights groups as collective punishment and part of the regime’s overall policy of ethnic cleansing. Other collective punishment measures are already in place including home demolitions and the revoking of Jerusalem residency permits.
