Palestinian killed in clash with settlers near Kalkilya, report says

A Palestinian was killed in overnight clashes with settlers in the West Bank village of Hajja, near Kalkilya, according to the Palestinian Authority's Health Ministry.

The PA-run WAFA news agency reported on Sunday night that three Palestinians were wounded in the confrontation. Two of them were in serious condition after being shot, and all three were taken to hospital for treatment.

The clashes came amid what the report described as an increase in settler violence against Palestinians in recent weeks. The most prominent episode cited was the continuing situation around Kusra in the northern West Bank.

In mid-August, dozens of settlers clashed with the Israel Defense Forces near Kusra after soldiers evacuated an outpost established in the area. Israeli police recently arrested two Israeli teenagers suspected of involvement in attacks there. Police said the first suspect, a 19-year-old from the Shomron area, had an airsoft rifle, a knife, a penknife and tear gas in his vehicle. The second suspect, an 18-year-old from the Jordan Valley area, was serving in the IDF.