Israel finds the physique of a teen whose disappearance sparked a lethal settler assault within the West Financial institution

AL-MUGHAYYIR, West Financial institution (AP) — Israel’s military mentioned Saturday the physique of a lacking Israeli teen was discovered within the West Financial institution after he was killed in a “terrorist assault,” as violence escalated throughout the Israeli-occupied territory the place tensions have simmered for months.

The disappearance of 14-year-old Binyamin Achimair sparked a big assault by Israeli settlers on a Palestinian village on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, one Palestinian man was killed and 25 others had been wounded within the assault on the village of Mughayyir, Palestinian well being officers mentioned. Israeli troops on Saturday delayed the ambulance carrying 26-year-old’s physique for a number of hours, witnesses mentioned.

Dozens of settlers returned to the village’s outskirts on Saturday, burning two houses and a number of other automobiles. The Palestinian Well being Ministry mentioned three folks from the village had been injured, one critically.

Within the close by village of Douma, Israeli settlers set hearth to a number of houses, in line with Wafa, the official Palestinian information company. The Palestinian Crimson Crescent mentioned six folks had been injured by gunfire however didn’t say who fired.

Tensions within the West Financial institution have been particularly excessive for the reason that outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in close by Gaza on Oct. 7. Israel declared battle on Hamas after militants killed about 1,200 folks in southern Israel and took 250 hostages. Greater than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s offensive since then, in line with Gaza well being officers.

Because the battle started, Hamas has been making an attempt to ignite different fronts, together with within the West Financial institution, in hopes of exerting extra strain on Israel. Such efforts have largely failed, although greater than 460 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli hearth within the West Financial institution since Oct. 7, most in clashes sparked by military raids however some by vigilante settlers.

There was no quick declare of duty for the killing of the Israeli teen.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the killing “We’ll get to the murderers and their helpers as we do to anybody who harms the residents of the state of Israel,” he mentioned in a press release issued by his workplace.

In 2014, the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teenagers within the West Financial institution escalated tensions and ultimately ignited a 50-day Israel-Hamas battle in Gaza, on the time the deadliest spherical of combating between the 2 sides.