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Palestinian teenager shot dead in West Bank after launching petrol bomb attack

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A Palestinian who threw petrol bombs at an Israeli community in the West Bank was shot dead yesterday by IDF forces.

According to an Israeli army spokeswoman, three assailants exited a car and started throwing petrol bombs at the Beit El settlement, near the West Bank city of Ramallah. IDF soldiers opened fire before the car fled the scene. Palestinian health officials later said that one of the assailants, a 17-year-old male had been killed and that three others had been wounded, one seriously.

Earlier this week, Israeli security forces arrested nine wanted Palestinians in the West Bank in connection with terrorist activities. Four of those arrested are thought to be Hamas members.

In a separate operation yesterday, the IDF, Shin Bet and Israel Police uncovered a weapons manufacturing facility in the West Bank village of Tapuach and confiscated ammunition.

Since a wave of Palestinian violence erupted in October 2015, 46 people have been killed in attacks. However, the number of attacks has slowed in recent months.

Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman addressed the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee this week and said: “The relative calm that we are experiencing at this time is quite deceiving, it’s misleading and deluding because Hamas and global jihadi infrastructure are working every day in attempting to conduct terrorist attacks in Israeli territory”.

He added: “Hamas has found itself in strategic distress and is interested in undermining the security situation in the West Bank through bombings”.

Warning that attempted attacks are likely over the upcoming Passover holiday, Argaman said that “our goal is to ensure that the holidays are as quiet as possible”.

Argaman also outlined that the Shin Bet had thwarted 16 suicide bombings and 16 attempted kidnappings during 2016. In addition, it had stopped 184 shootings, plus 84 other attempted stabbing and vehicle ramming attacks.