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Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, for Tuesday, November 17, 2015.
Palestinian youth killed two injured and arrested by Israeli soldiers, and the government approves more homes in illegal settlements. These stories, and more, coming up, stay tuned.
Israeli forces have shot and killed a Palestinian youth during armed clashes north of Ramallah, Tuesday evening, with two others injured in an exchange of fire.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said the slain Palestinian has been identified as Mohammad Saleh, 24 years of age, from Ramallah. It added that the soldiers left Saleh bleeding on the ground for more than an hour, and prevented Palestinian ambulances and medics from reaching him, until he died of his wounds.
The soldiers fired live rounds and gas bombs on Palestinians who tried to reach the Palestinian; the army also completely closed the Nablus-Ramallah road.
The Israeli army said that shots were fired from a pistol at an Israeli military patrol near Ramallah, with soldiers returning fire and shooting an assailant.
Gunfight started when three armed Palestinians had reportedly exited a vehicle near an Israeli military patrol and opened fire at soldiers near Turmus Ayya, north of Ramallah. Two Palestinians were injured in the gun battle and detained by Israeli forces.
On Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry has reported that, following the death of Mohammad the number of Palestinians, killed by Israeli fire since October 1st, has arrived to 89, including 18 children. According to the ministry report 10.000 Palestinians have been injured in the same time period.
In other news, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Tuesday, approved the construction of 500 more illegal settlement units in the Ramat Shlomo settlement, occupied East Jerusalem. The move, which sets the stage for 1,000 additional settlement units to be built, reportedly follows a two year de facto freeze following a diplomatic row with the United States.
It also comes in the midst of growing frustration and clashes in both occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank as a whole. Last Wednesday, the Israeli municipality in West Jerusalem approved the construction of 891 units in the Gilo settlement, which was constructed on Bethlehem territory in the occupied West Bank.
The day before, Netanyahu approved the construction of 2,200 settlement units in Ma’ale Michmas settlement east of Ramallah.
And that’s all for today from the IMEMC News; this was the Tuesday, November 17, 2015 news round-up from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. For more news and updates, please visit our website at www.imemc.org. Today’s report has been brought to you by George Rishmawi and me Ghassan Bannoura.
