Palestinian teen killed in army raid as settlers hold march

People march to Eviatar near Tapuah junction, West Bank Monday. Pic/AP

The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 15-year-old boy was killed by Israeli fire during an army raid in the occupied West Bank on Monday. The shooting came as thousands of Israelis led by at least seven Cabinet ministers marched to an evacuated settlement in the territory.

The march was a defiant signal that Israel's most right-wing government in history is determined to accelerate settlement building on occupied lands despite international opposition. It also poses a new test for Israel's security forces after days of unrest fueled by tensions over a contested Jerusalem holy site.

The demonstration added to the already combustible atmosphere in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank that has accompanied the overlapping of major Jewish and Muslim holy days. Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have reached a fever pitch in recent weeks surrounding the Jerusalem shrine.

Also read: Rockets fired from Gaza as Israeli forces storm Al-Aqsa

The Palestinian Health Ministry said 15-year-old Mohammed Balhan was killed by army fire. The march to Eviatar, an unauthorized settlement outpost in northern West Bank that was evacuated by the previous Israeli government in 2021, was led by hard-line ultranationalist Jewish settlers.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever