Did the Israeli Army Kill a Palestinian Suspect in the West Bank?

Jerusalem, May 18 (NationPress) - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that their personnel shot and killed a Palestinian individual who approached them with a suspected explosive device in the West Bank village of Bruqin.

The IDF indicated that this incident took place on Saturday amid an ongoing search for the gunman responsible for the fatal shooting of an Israeli woman, who was late in her pregnancy, on Wednesday evening.

The woman was traveling in a vehicle on the route connecting the Jewish settlements of Peduel and Berukhin, reportedly heading to a hospital for delivery, as noted by the Xinhua news agency.

Her newborn is currently hospitalized in serious condition at Schneider Children's Medical Centre near Tel Aviv, but is no longer considered to be in life-threatening condition.

As part of the operation to locate the shooter, the IDF and the Shin Bet security service carried out targeted searches and arrested multiple suspects in Bruqin, close to the site of the attack, according to the army's statement.

The statement added that a joint investigation into the incident is being conducted by the Shin Bet and the Israel Police.

The militant group Hamas celebrated the killing of the Israeli woman, labeling it as "heroic," and called for further similar actions, although they did not take responsibility for the attack.

IDF forces have been encircling the Palestinian towns of Bruqin and Kafr ad-Dik, situated near the attack location, in pursuit of the attacker, who is believed to have acted independently.

Additionally, the IDF announced on Saturday evening that troops had killed a Palestinian who was allegedly throwing stones at Israeli motorists near the West Bank town of Burqa.

The military stated that personnel from the 636th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit identified three suspects engaging in stone-throwing and opened fire, resulting in one death and injuries to the other two.

Earlier, on Thursday, five members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad were killed by the IDF in the West Bank.

The region has experienced a noticeable uptick in violence since Hamas's attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, which escalated the conflict.

Since that date, military operations have led to the arrest of nearly 6,000 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including over 2,350 individuals affiliated with Hamas.

According to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry, more than 950 Palestinians in the West Bank have lost their lives during this period. The IDF claims that the majority were gunmen killed in combat, rioters clashing with troops, or terrorists executing attacks.

Moreover, there has been a marked rise in violence from settlers towards Palestinians since the conflict began.

During this timeframe, 52 individuals, including members of Israeli security forces, have been killed in terrorist attacks within Israel and the West Bank, with an additional eight security personnel dying in confrontations with terrorists in the West Bank.