Israeli soldier killed in shooting attack near Nablus, Israel widens closures in occupied West Bank

An Israeli soldier died of his wounds, sustained hours earlier on Tuesday, in a shooting attack near the Israeli settlement of Shavei Shomron north of Nablus, according to reports by the Israeli media.
 
The soldier was part of a military unit securing a march held by Israeli settlers near the Palestinian town of Sebastia. The attacker or attackers fled the scene, and the Israeli forces responded by blocking several roads in the area.
 
In a statement, 'the Lion's Den' claimed responsibility for the act. Formed in Nablus in recent weeks, the group gathers Palestinian militants from several factions.

Earlier today, a Palestinian fighter shot an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint outside of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
In response, the occupation forces have closed all roads around Nablus. This, combined with settler terror, is also systematic revengepic.twitter.com/fsVyXWNpTW

— Jalal (@JalalAK_jojo) October 11, 2022

"All roads northwest of Nablus are blocked by the occupation forces, circulation is paralysed," Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian civil activist against settlements and resident of the area, told The New Arab.
 
"Occupation forces closed entrances to 11 villages, and the entire area between Nablus and Jenin has been isolated," he added.
 
The shooting attacks by Palestinians come amidst an ongoing escalation by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

On Monday, a 12-year-old Palestinian Mahmoud Samoudi died from his wounds caused by the Israeli army in a previous raid in the Jenin refugee camp.
 
"Mahmoud was hit by an Israeli bullet in the stomach last Saturday," his uncle, Abdu Samoudi, said to The New Arab.

TODAY MORNING: Israeli occupation forces abruptly shut Huwwara checkpoint in occupied Nablus.

Many can't go to work or study as a result. pic.twitter.com/s25cxdK0Vq

— V PALESTINE 🇵🇸 (@V_Palestine20) October 11, 2022

"We took him to several hospitals as his condition was very critical, but we eventually lost him," said the uncle. "He was a joyful boy, regular at school, happy and energetic at home, and loved by all the neighbourhood."
 
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue to impose a closure on the refugee camp of Shuafat north of Jerusalem, following another shooting attack on Saturday, in which an Israeli female soldier was killed, and two others wounded.

Volunteers distributing water to citizens' vehicles
To relieve them during the traffic jam caused by the strict occupation measures, west of Nablus pic.twitter.com/vhCA5IkWBb

— Palestine News 24/7 (@PaliNewsBot) October 11, 2022

Israeli forces raided the Shuafat camp early on Tuesday and arrested four Palestinians after three days of confrontations with protesters from the camp.
 
Similar confrontations have sprung up across various neighbourhoods of Jerusalem, particularly in Silwan, at the foot of the old city walls, since Saturday.
 
On Monday, the Palestinian foreign ministry urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for killing more than 100 Palestinians since the beginning of the year.
 
In a letter sent to the UN Secretary-General, the ministry pointed to the killing of 44 Palestinian children by Israeli forces since the beginning of 2022, the latest of whom being Mahmoud Samoudi.
 
On Sunday, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennessland, said he was "alarmed by the deteriorating security situation in the West Bank," remarking that "mounting violence in the occupied West Bank is fueling a climate of fear, hatred and anger".