Two people were killed in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank on Sunday amid rising tensions in the region, Reuters and German broadcaster n-tv reported.
An Israeli citizen was fatally shot near the settlement of Neve Tzuf, north of Ramallah. According to the Israeli army and police, an attacker opened fire from a car at a group of Israelis near a spring in the area.
Medics arriving at the scene found a seriously injured man in a car. He later died in hospital. The suspected attacker was found several hours later in a hospital in Ramallah and arrested.
In another incident, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian driver near the village of Ghanim in the northern West Bank.
The Israeli military said the man had tried to run over soldiers with his car. No soldiers were injured. Reuters has not yet been able to independently confirm the Israeli army's version of events.
It is not clear whether the two deadly incidents are related.
After the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered security forces to increase their presence in the area and carry out additional arrests and operations.
„Hamas“ welcomed the shooting of Israelis but did not claim responsibility for the attack.
The new violence comes just before Yom Kippur - the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, raising fears of further escalation.
Tensions in the West Bank have risen significantly since the attack by “Hamas“ against Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza. In recent years, the area has been the scene of Israeli military operations, Palestinian attacks on Israelis, and increasing violence by radical Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
In recent weeks alone, new heavy clashes have been recorded. On September 7, two Palestinians were killed in separate incidents related to violence around Israeli settlements.
In parallel, Israel continues to expand settlements. On September 17, a procedure was announced for another 2,167 homes within the controversial E1 project. Together with the previously announced plans, the number of homes reaches 3,401. The Palestinian side and a number of Western countries warn that the project could further complicate the creation of a territorially contiguous Palestinian state. Israel disputes the international position on the illegality of the settlements.