JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli troops killed a Palestinian man during a firefight Tuesday in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. The violence erupted after Israel demolished the home of a Palestinian who killed three Israelis in an attack earlier this year.
The military said it demolished an apartment in the West Bank city of Jenin belonging to Raed Hazem, the gunman who opened fire at a Tel Aviv bar in April.
During the operation, the army said “violent disturbances erupted that included stone-throwing, firebombs, hurling of explosives and massive gunfire toward the troops” and that soldiers returned fire.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said a 29-year-old man was killed and 16 others were wounded in the fighting. The Palestinian official news agency, Wafa, identified the man as Mohammad Musa Saabaneh. It was not immediately clear if he was armed or involved in the clashes.
Israel maintains a policy of demolishing the homes of Palestinian attackers. Israeli officials say the demolitions deter future attacks, while rights groups view it as a form of collective punishment.
Israel has been conducting near-daily arrest raids in the West Bank for months, which were prompted by a spate of deadly attacks against Israelis earlier this year that killed 19 people.