4 Palestinians Martyred After Stabbing Attempts in Occupied West Bank

Local Editor

"Israeli" regime forces martyred four Palestinians from the town of Sair on Thursday night after they allegedly carried out two separate stabbing attempts in the southern occupied West Bank, "Israeli" and Palestinian sources said.

In the night's first deadly encounter, three Palestinian cousins were martyred after they allegedly attempted to stab "Israeli" soldiers at the Gush Etzion junction in the southern occupied West Bank.

An "Israeli" regime army spokesperson alleged that all three Palestinians were "armed with knives" and attempted to perform the stabbing operation on the "Israeli" soldiers at the junction.

She said "Israeli" forces "thwarted" the operation and opened fire on the Palestinians.

While two were immediately confirmed dead, she said that "Israeli" emergency services attempted to treat the third Palestinian before he succumbed to his wounds.

A spokesperson for "Israeli" emergency services Magen David Adom confirmed that no "Israelis" were injured in the operation.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent said their ambulance crews "were not allowed to get close to the scene."

The three Palestinians were later identified as cousins Ahmad Salim Abd al-Majid Kawazba, Alaa Abed Muhammad Kawazba, and Muhannad Ziyad Kawazba, all from the town of Sair northeast of al-Khalil [Hebron].

Shortly after the incident, another Palestinian from the same town, identified as 16-year-old Khalil Muhammad al-Shalaldah, was martyred by "Israeli" forces after he allegedly attempted to carry out a stabbing operation at the Beit Einun junction northeast of al-Khalil [Hebron].

An "Israeli" army spokesperson alleged that the teenager was "armed with a knife," but that "Israeli" soldiers thwarted the operation, and shot him, resulting in his martyrdom. There were no "Israeli" injuries reported.

Shaladah's brother, Mahmoud al-Shalaldah, succumbed to wounds he sustained during clashes with "Israeli" regime forces near Sair on Nov. 13.

Since October, around 145 Palestinians had been shot dead by "Israelis", the majority in the occupied West Bank.

While the "Israeli" regime alleges that many of those Palestinians were attempting to perform operations on "Israelis" when they were shot; however, Palestinians and rights groups had disputed the "Israeli" regime's version of events in a number of cases.

The Gush Etzion junction where the three Kawazba cousins were martyred on Thursday had been the site of a number of deadly encounters since October.

Another member of the Kawazba family -- 18-year-old Ahmad Younis Kawazba, also from Sair -- was martyred there on Tuesday after he reportedly stabbed and lightly wounded an "Israeli" soldier at the junction.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team