Israeli soldiers fatally shoot Palestinian youth in Jenin raid

The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement that Mustafa al-Kastouni, 32, was killed after he was shot by Israeli forces in the head, chest and abdomen on Thursday.

The killing came after a large unit of the Israeli military stormed Jenin, sparking intense clashes with Palestinians.

Local sources say the occupation troops blew up Kastouni’s house and kidnapped two other Palestinians during the raid.

Some reports identified the victim as a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which is a coalition of West Bank-based armed Palestinian resistance groups.

The Israeli army claimed that one of its soldiers was slightly injured by shrapnel during the confrontations.

In a statement, the spokesman of the Gaza-based Hamas resistance movement praised the struggle of Jenin resistance fighters, saying the Palestinian city will always remain a resistance stronghold against the occupiers.

Israel launches raids on various West Bank cities almost on a daily basis under the pretext of detaining what it calls “wanted” Palestinians. The raids usually lead to violent confrontations with residents.

The Tel Aviv regime has ramped up such attacks under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition, killing more than 200 Palestinians since the beginning of this year.

On July 3-4, Israel waged an aerial and ground offensive against Jenin and its refugee camp. At least 12 Palestinians were killed and 140 others injured during the aggression.