Two Palestinians martyred by Israeli forces in separate incidents

NABLUS (AFP) - Israeli forces martyred two Palestinians in separate incidents Wednesday, including one who allegedly tried to stab soldiers and a teenager who appeared to point a fake gun at police, sources on both sides said.

In the first incident, Arref Abdel Nasser Arref Lahlouh, 22, was martyred "by Israeli gunfire," near the occupied West Bank Palestinian city of Qalqilya, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

The army said that Lahlou "attempted to carry out a stabbing attack" near the Jewish settlement of Kdumim.

Lahlou is the 19th Palestinian martyred in the West Bank this year, including civilians and combatants, the majority of whom were shot dead by Israeli forces.

Separately on Wednesday, Israeli forces martyred a teenager during an operation in the Shuafat refugee camp in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.

The Palestinian health ministry identified him as Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali, 17. Forces had gone to the camp to demolish the home of Udai Tamimi, who shot and killed military policewoman Noa Lazar at a checkpoint in October.

Israeli police said that "masked terrorists threw pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails" at officers during the operation.

"The police forces identified a suspect armed with an item that looked like a weapon and was pointing it at the force," the statement said. Israel regularly demolishes the homes of individuals it blames for attacks on Israelis.

Last year, 150 Palestinians were martyred in the West Bank, the highest annual toll since United Nations records began in 2005. At least 26 Israelis were killed and 200 Palestinians martyred across Israel and the Palestinian territories, according to an AFP tally from official sources.