Ramallah, West Bank — Tensions in the West Bank continue to rise as the Israeli army has reportedly killed an 18-year-old Palestinian youth, Walid Hussein, during an alleged stabbing attempt near Nablus. According to sources from both Palestinian health authorities and Israeli media, the incident occurred near a military checkpoint, marking another grim episode in the ongoing violence since the outbreak of hostilities in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed Hussein's death on Tuesday, having received notification from the General Authority for Civil Affairs. However, further details surrounding the incident remain sparse. Israeli public radio Kan reported that Israeli soldiers shot the youth after he purportedly attempted to stab them. Eyewitnesses noted that the Israeli forces swiftly closed the Deir Sharaf checkpoint in both directions following the incident, which has drawn significant attention from local residents and international observers alike.
The recent escalation of violence in the West Bank has been alarming, with the Palestinian Health Ministry estimating that over 770 Palestinians have lost their lives since the onset of the renewed conflict on October 7, 2023. This surge in fatalities coincides with intensified military raids by the Israeli army in the West Bank, which have grown more frequent since the onset of the war in Gaza. The current climate of unrest follows a significant ruling in July from the International Court of Justice, which deemed Israel's prolonged occupation of Palestinian territories as “illegal” and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. As tensions continue to mount in these contested regions, the international community watches closely, hoping for a de-escalation and a return to dialogue in the pursuit of a lasting resolution.