Four Palestinian youth were injured by Israeli army gunfire on Saturday at dawn in the village of Beit Fajjar, located west of the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem.Medical sources said that two of the injured sustained critical wounds. Israeli sources said that the four Palestinian youth were injured near the illegal Israeli settlement of Majdal Ouz, located near Beit Fajjar.
The army added that the four were on their way to attack the settlement. They added that the four had hand grenades and a home made bomb with them. When encountering Israeli troops they hurled the two grenades at the soldiers; soldiers opened fire and injured the four.
Later the army said Israeli troops chased the four youth back to Beit Fajjar and kidnapped three of them while they were receiving medical help. Palestinian sources identified the three as Mohamed Abed Al Salam, 18, Imad Takatka, 20, and Mahmoud Thawabtah, 20. Palestinian sources said that Takatka and Thawabtah were critically injured and were kidnapped from a Palestinian ambulance which was transposrting them to receive medical care.
An Israeli army spokesman said that the four were planning to ambush an Israeli army unit that protects the settlement; the army official added that the army managed to ambush the Palestinian group before it could conduct their operation.
Translated by: Ghassan Bannoura – IMEMC News
