Palestinian Reportedly Killed in Clashes With Israeli Army Near Bethlehem

A Palestinian was killed during clashes with the Israeli army early Tuesday morning, Palestinian medical officials said. Local media identified him as 19-year-old Malik Akram Shahin. Meanwhile, the Shin Bet said it had arrested a Palestinian they say is behind an October stabbing attack.

According to Palestinian reports, Shahin died after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head during clashes between dozens of Palestinian youths and Israel Defense Forces soldiers in the Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem in the West Bank. He was reportedly taken to a local hospital in critical condition, where he succumbed to his wounds.

According to the IDF, soldiers were confronted by Palestinians during a military operation within the refugee camp. The military claimed the group threw makeshift explosives and firebombs at them, prompting the soldiers to fire warning shots in the air. The IDF said they were looking into reports of Shahin's death and examining the claim he was killed by an IDF bullet.

Meanwhile, Israeli security forces arrested a Palestinian man who, according to the Shin Bet, was one of two assailants involved in a stabbing attack at Tapuah Junction in the West Bank in October.

Bassel Munir Mahmad Abu Alya, 26, a resident of the Palestinian village of Ma'yer and his accomplice stabbed a Border Police officer at a checkpoint, lightly wounding him. Another officer on the scene shot at the two attackers, killing the accomplice and seriously wounding Abu Alya. The latter was rushed to a Nablus hospital and was later transferred to a Ramallah hospital, where he has been hiding for the past week to evade arrest. 

On Monday, a 40-year-old Israeli settler was critically wounded in a stabbing attack in Hebron. The suspected attacker was shot by security forces and died as a result. The victim is still hospitalized and under intensive care.