Israel holds bodies of two Palestinians killed near West Bank settlement

RAMALLAH: Israeli authorities are holding the bodies of two Palestinians who were shot dead near a settlement in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian officials, while the Israeli military said the two were killed after throwing Molotov cocktails.

The General Authority of Civil Affairs, based in Ramallah and affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, said on Monday that the bodies remained in Israeli custody. It said the shooting took place north of Hebron.

Palestinian news agency Wafa identified the dead as Reda Sami Awad, 15, and Arafat Ismail Awad, 19. Wafa said Israeli forces were holding their bodies.

According to the Israeli military, soldiers opened fire on Sunday at a group of people who were burning tyres and throwing petrol bombs toward a settlement. The military said two people were killed and a third was neutralised, adding that the incident happened during what it described as a counter-terrorism operation in the area.

West Bank tensions

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the territory, not including east Jerusalem, alongside about three million Palestinians.

The United Nations has recently warned that settler violence against Palestinians has reached unprecedented levels, with an average of six attacks a day causing casualties or property damage.

According to a count based on Palestinian health ministry figures, at least 1,082 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers since the start of the Gaza conflict. Official Israeli figures show that at least 46 Israelis, including civilians and soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations over the same period.