(MENAFN) Late Wednesday evening, Israeli troops fatally shot two Palestinians and injured several more in the town of Al-Khader, located south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, as reported by state-controlled media sources.

According to a news agency, “two people were killed and others injured after occupation forces opened fire on youths.”

The outlet further stated that the Israeli military is retaining the bodies of those killed and detaining other individuals who were shot.

Earlier in the day, an official Palestinian news service disclosed that Israeli forces opened fire near the Al-Abbara area in the western part of Al-Khader.

While several individuals were harmed in the incident, specific details about the severity of their injuries remained unclear.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that its emergency teams were obstructed from reaching the injured.

“The army is stopping our crews from providing medical assistance to the injured in Al-Khader,” the organization stated.

Since Israel launched what has been widely described as a genocidal campaign against Gaza in October 2023, close to 1,000 Palestinians have lost their lives, with over 7,000 more wounded in the occupied West Bank due to the actions of Israeli forces and unlawful settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In a significant judgment issued last July, the International Court of Justice concluded that Israel’s control over Palestinian land is unlawful and demanded the removal of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

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