Ban concerned over rise of tension in West Bank

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed grave concern over the escalation of tensions between Israelis and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

“Violence only deepens distrust, while making more distant the prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” said a statement by Ban, which was read out by UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Ban called “on all sides to do everything they possibly can to avoid further exacerbating an already tense environment,” the statement further said.

The occupied West bank has been the scene of violent clashes in recent weeks, with Tel Aviv intensifying its crackdown on Palestinian protests.

On Tuesday, Israeli forces shot Mohammad Imad Jawwabra in the al-Arroub refugee camp north of the West Bank’s southern city of al-Khalil (Hebron).

Reports also said that clashes erupted in the village of Khursa, located southwest of al-Khalil, where several Palestinians were injured.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces raided a number of Palestinian homes in several villages across the occupied West Bank overnight Tuesday, abducting nearly 60 people, including 10 children.

Most of those arrested were from the village of Kafr Kanna, where 22-year-old Khair al-Din Hamdan was recently killed by Israeli forces, which triggered protests.

Tensions have also been running high at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds (Jerusalem) over the past few weeks, since Tel Aviv imposed restrictions on the access of Palestinians to the mosque.