Jewish settlers shot two Palestinian men in the occupied West Bank today, critically injuring one of them, the mayor of a Palestinian village said.
Palestinians said the incident in the village of Beit Ummar near Hebron was the second time they had come under fire from settlers in 24 hours. A 19-year-old was shot dead yesterday near Nablus, further north.
The Israeli police said they were investigating both incidents.
Fawzi Sabarna, mayor of the village, told reporters dozens of settlers had entered his village and started shooting at houses this morning, hitting two youths working on land nearby.
Violence in the West Bank has largely subsided in the past few years, but Israeli military officials have warned in private that the stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians could stoke tensions and break the status quo.
Yesterday, Oday Kaddous (19) was shot dead near the village of Iraq Burin near Nablus. His cousin Omar Kaddous accused settlers of killing him in an unprovoked attack.
Israeli media said footage from a military security camera showed an Israeli-looking man shooting in the air after Palestinians started throwing stones at him. He then fired directly at the group.
Agencies