JERUSALEM, Israel (AP) — Israeli police shot and killed a young Palestinian girl after opening fire on a pair of suspected attackers who had rammed their car into a West Bank checkpoint. The incident occurred near the Palestinian village of Biddu, just northwest of Jerusalem. Video footage showed a white car plowing into Israeli police at the checkpoint, prompting the officers to give chase and open fire.
During the confrontation, the two suspects were shot, and a young police officer sustained minor injuries. Tragically, a young girl in a van in front of the suspects’ vehicle was also shot and pronounced dead by Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service. Israeli police stated that a preliminary investigation suggests the child may have been affected while officers responded to the suspects’ vehicle, and they have promised a thorough investigation into the tragic incident.
The ramming at the checkpoint came after nine people were killed in separate violent incidents earlier in the day in the West Bank, which has seen an uptick in violence since the onset of Israel’s war against Hamas on Oct. 7.
In another incident, a Palestinian resident of Jerusalem was fatally shot at a busy intersection in the West Bank. The victim, who was driving a car with Israeli license plates, was apparently mistaken for an Israeli by the assailants. Palestinian militants have carried out numerous shooting attacks against Israelis in the West Bank over the years. The Israeli army reported that security forces were searching for the shooter and found an abandoned car believed to have been used in the attack.
The latest events follow a surge in deadly military raids and increased restrictions on Palestinian residents across the West Bank amid the Israel-Hamas war. Furthermore, violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the territory has reached record highs, according to the United Nations. The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported that Israeli forces have killed 330 Palestinians in the West Bank since the onset of the conflict with Hamas. Most of the Palestinians were killed during confrontations that the Israeli military says began during operations to arrest Palestinian gunmen.
In conclusion, the recent surge of violence in the West Bank emphasizes the ongoing tension and conflict in the region, with tragic consequences affecting both Palestinians and Israelis. The situation underscores the need for a swift and peaceful resolution to the longstanding conflict.