Türkiye expresses “deep concern” on escalation in West Bank

ANKARA 

The Foreign Ministry has expressed its “deep concern” for the recent escalation of violence and civilian casualties in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

“We strongly condemn the summary executions,” the Foreign Ministry said on Dec. 3.

Ankara called on the Israeli authorities to take the necessary measures to prevent further escalation of tension and loss of lives in the region.

“We wish Allah’s mercy upon our Palestinian brothers and sisters who lost their lives in the incidents and extend our condolences to the State of Palestine and its people,” the statement said.

Israeli police shot dead a Palestinian on Dec. 2 in the occupied West Bank, in an incident described by the force as a stabbing and by a Palestinian official as a quarrel.

Israeli police said its border guards were approached by several suspects in the town of Huwara when one “pulled out a knife and stabbed one of them.” The guards “responded by shooting one suspect and neutralizing him,” police said in a statement.

There are regular patrols by Israeli forces through the town of Huwara, which straddles the main road south of Nablus in the northern West Bank.

The shooting marks the ninth Palestinian killed since Nov. 29 in the West Bank, mostly in clashes with or raids by Israeli forces. In one incident, a man was shot dead after running over a soldier in an alleged car ramming.
Israel has occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem since the 1967 Six-Day War. The U.S. representative for Palestinian affairs, Hady Amr, on Nov. 30 said Washington is “deeply aware of the tragic loss of life” in the Palestinian territories.

Those killed in recent months include Israeli soldiers, Palestinian militants and scores of civilians. Forty-nine Gazans were killed in just three days of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in August.