Israeli forces kill 18-year-old Palestinian in West Bank raids

Israeli forces killed an 18-year-old Palestinian during several raids on West Bank towns on Monday evening, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

Mahmoud Ibrahim Al-Haroub was shot in his right eye by the Israeli army at the al-Fawar camp in the town of Dura, south of Hebron. Al-Haroub was pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.

Soldiers fired live rounds, sound bombs and gas cannisters at residents during the confrontation in which al-Haroub was killed, local sources told Wafa. Two other people were injured by Israeli forces in the raid.

Monday evening saw Israeli forces clash with Palestinian fighters during a raid on the West Bank town of Jaba, south of Jenin, and around the Tamoun junction in Tubas on Monday night.

Raids also took place on the West Bank towns of Silwad, Bani Naim and al-Khader.

Al-Haroub's killing on Monday brings the total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank since 7 October to 636, including 147 children.

Israeli forces have been accused of protecting settlers carrying out acts of violence, including during an incident on Thursday, when dozens of settlers torched Palestinian homes and vehicles in the village of Jit.

A preliminary investigation by Israel found that soldiers "didn’t do anything to stop the pogrom…they just stood there next to them, saw everything and did nothing", a senior defence official said.

While carrying out its war on Gaza, where more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, Israel has stepped up raids on the occupied West Bank.

Israeli forces have also arrested over 10,000 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 700 children and 345 women, according to figures from the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, and the Al-Dameer Association for Prisoner Support and Human Rights.