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Ramallah early Sunday morning. Photo: Samer Nazzal

Aftermath of a raid on the home of Mufti of Ramallah, Sheikh Ibrahim Awad Allah
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NABLUS (Ma'an) -- Two Palestinians were shot and killed during clashes in Ramallah and Nablus overnight Sunday, as Israeli forces continued a massive search operation across the West Bank for three missing Israeli teenagers.

The killings mark a major upsurge in Israeli violence amid one of the largest deployments since the Second Intifada, with at least five Palestinians killed in the last week and more than 370 arrested.

Ahmad Said Suod Khalid, 36, in Al-Ein refugee camp in Nablus and Mahmoud Ismail Atallah Tarifi, 30, in Ramallah were killed as locals protested raids in those areas early Sunday morning.

In al-Ein refugee camp, Israeli soldiers fired four gunshots at 36-year-old Ahmad Said Suod Khalid while he was headed to a mosque for dawn prayer.

According to eyewitnesses, the soldiers asked Khalid to go back home, but he refused and insisted on walking to the mosque. At this point, a soldier pointed his rifle at him and shot him several times from point-blank range.

The victim's body was subsequently taken to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus.

The Israeli military said in a statement that the victim "was approaching them in a threatening manner" at the time he was shot, and that they "called on the suspect to stop and after he failed to comply they fired warning shots in the air."

Israeli soldiers then "fired towards the suspect."

"Initial inquiry suggests that the suspect was mentally unstable," the statement said, adding that "the incident is currently being investigated."

In Ramallah, a young Palestinian man Mahmoud Ismail Atallah was found dead on the roof of a commercial building opposite to another building where Israeli snipers were stationed.

It is believed that a sniper shot Atallah, and he bled for hours before his body was found.

Earlier, Israeli troops invaded several neighborhoods in Ramallah before dawn and broke into several houses and stores.

Young Palestinian men clashed with the soldiers, who fired live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets at the demonstrators, injuring more than 10.

After Israeli forces withdrew from Ramallah, however, Palestinian protesters began attacking a local Palestinian Authority police station, in anger at the security forces' coordination with the Israeli forces.

Palestinian security forces responded with force against protesters, although the exact response used is still unclear.

Palestinian president Abbas has supported Israel's campaign to find the missing youth, and many Palestinians have been angered by the continued security coordination of police and other Palestinian forces with raiding Israeli forces.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said that the military was still "reviewing" the incident.

Detentions have been reported overnight but numbers and identities of the detainees are yet to be revealed.

The killings come as a massive Israeli arrest operation across the West Bank enters its 10th day.

Israel accuses Hamas of having kidnapped three Israeli teenagers from Gush Etzion settlement near Bethlehem of having "kidnapped" the the group, who were hitch hiking at the time.

Hamas, however, has denied the accusations, and Israel has failed to provide any public proof to them.

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BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Center for Human Rights on Sunday condemned the Israeli army's killing of a mentally disabled Palestinian man during a raid on al-Ain refugee camp the same day.

Israeli troops early Sunday raided the camp and killed Ahmad Said Suod Khalid, 27, as he was walking to a mosque for dawn prayers and refused orders to return home.

"The family of the victim said to a PCHR fieldworker that their son suffered mental problems and epilepsy," the rights group said in a statement.

"Around ten meters away from his house, a group of Israeli soldiers were raiding and searching houses when an Israeli soldier shouted at Ahmed to stop. However, he did not obey the orders, so the Israeli soldiers opened fire at him from a distance of around 30 meters. As a result, he was killed by 4 bullets to the abdomen, back, right thigh, and tight shoulder."

"PCHR strongly condemns this crime, which further proves the use of excessive force by Israeli forces against the Palestinian civilians in disregard for the civilians' lives," the statement said.

The report further stated that the ongoing Israeli military campaign in the West Bank was "collective punishment," constituting a war crime under international law.

Israeli forces have conducted nightly arrest and search raids throughout the West Bank following the disappearance of three teenagers from an area near the illegal settlement of Gush Etzion on June 12.

Six Palestinians have died, dozens have been injured, and over 400 have been arrested as a result of Israel's military campaign to find the youths.

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