Kathmandu— Israeli settlers shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian teenager near Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Friday, according to Palestine’s Health Ministry, while Israeli forces simultaneously killed a 58-year-old retired Palestinian colonel during a raid in Jenin. The incidents occurred amid escalating violence and following Israel's recent announcement of plans for further settlement expansion in the region. Both events are currently under investigation by Israeli authorities.

West Bank Shooting

Karim Sanad Shalaldeh, 17, was killed when Israeli settlers attacked the town of Sa’ir, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported. Wafa, a Palestinian news agency, stated that a 70-year-old man was also wounded during the gunfire. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded by sending troops to the area after reports that Israelis present without authorization had been injured by thrown rocks.

Conflicting Accounts of Incident

According to the IDF, a “security official” opened fire following the rock-throwing incident, resulting in Palestinian casualties. Israeli police have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Separately, Al Jazeera reported that Israeli forces killed Fathi Khazem, a 58-year-old retired colonel of the Palestinian National Security Forces, during a raid on his home in Jenin.

Settlement Expansion and International Condemnation

The shootings occurred days after Israel announced a tender for the construction of over 1,200 homes in the occupied West Bank as part of a settlement expansion plan revealed in July. Critics argue that this construction could bisect Palestinian territory if completed. Leaders from more than a dozen countries, including Germany, France, and the UK, along with the European Commission, issued a joint statement on Thursday condemning the project as illegal and unacceptable.

US Warning of Potential Sanctions

The rising violence has also prompted a warning from the United States. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Reuters that Israeli settlers who seize West Bank property belonging to Palestinian-Americans could face sanctions. The occupied West Bank has been under Israeli control since the 1967 Six-Day War, and is currently home to approximately three million Palestinians and over 600,000 Israeli settlers.

Longstanding Conflict

The internationally supported two-state solution envisions the West Bank as part of a future Palestinian state alongside East Jerusalem and Gaza. Moscow has consistently maintained that the conflict can only be resolved through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Investigations into both shooting incidents are ongoing, with no immediate resolutions announced. The continued expansion of Israeli settlements remains a significant point of contention.

(With inputs from RT)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.