Wednesday: three young Palestinians killed in two attacks, Israel wants to complete Wall in Jerusalem

 The car in which two Palestinians were shot. (Ma'an)

Israeli forces shot dead a 16-year-old Palestinian boy after he allegedly attempted to carry out a stabbing attack at a military checkpoint outside the blockaded village of al-Zawiya in Salfit district on Wednesday morning.
 The incident in al-Zawiya occurred shortly after the Israeli police shot dead two Palestinians outside Jerusalem's Old City after they opened fire in the area -- continuing a string of deadly encounters that shook Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories a day earlier.
Israeli police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said the two Palestinians initially opened fire on an Israeli bus in the settlement of Ramot in occupied East Jerusalem, before fleeing the scene without causing any injuries.The shooting sparked a massive manhunt across Jerusalem, with Israeli police later spotting the car outside the Old City's New Gate. Rosenfeld said that a gun battle erupted between Israeli police and the two Palestinians, with both gunmen shot dead. They were later identified as Abdul-Malak Saleh Abu Kharoub,19, and Muhammad Jamal al-Kalouti, 21. A Palestinian bystander was also shot in the head in the crossfire.
The man, identified as Imad Abu Ali, 57, a resident of Jerusalem's Old City, was rushed to Hadassah hospital in critical condition.Rosenfeld said Israeli police were investigating the possibility that Israeli police had shot the bystander.During the incident in al-Zawiya the Israeli soldiers also shot and wounded a second Palestinian,  although the circumstances were not initially clear. An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma'an that an "assailant armed with a knife" had approached the checkpoint on the outskirts of al-Zawiya intending to stab soldiers there. She said that Israeli forces "thwarted" the attack, shooting the Palestinian dead. She had no information about a second Palestinian being shot during the incident.However, local official Naim Shqeir told Ma'an that two Palestinians were shot during the incident and "left bleeding" when Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances were prevented from accessing them. Locals identified the killed boy as 16-year-old Ahmad Yousef Amer. Shqeir said that Israeli soldiers also assaulted a vendor selling vegetables in a pickup truck who was travelling in the area.No Israelis were injured during the incident.
The village of al-Zawiya in the northern West Bank was placed under military blockade late on Tuesday after it is believed one of its residents carried out a stabbing attack near Petah Tikva, around seven miles east of Tel Aviv.The 17-year-old, identified as Abd Al-Rahman Radad, was shot dead after wounding an Israeli man. However, the exact circumstances of the incident remained unclear, with early reports suggesting it may have been a brawl between the Israeli and Palestinian, as opposed to an attack.Radad was one of four Palestinians shot dead on Tuesday after a series of attacks left an American tourist dead and at least 12 Israelis wounded.

The ''Wall'' between Qalqilya and Jerusalem. (Photo Haaretz)  

Israel will complete construction of the separation barrier in the Jerusalem area and the southern West Bank following Tuesday's terror attacks, the Prime Minister's Office announced.
During security consultations held by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister's Office said it was immediately decided to close gaps in the separation barrier in the Jerusalem area, and to complete construction of the barrier in the Tarkumiya area in the South Hebron Hills. In recent months, opposition chair MK Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union) called on Netanyahu to close the gaps and complete construction of the barrier.
It was also decided to close Palestinian media outlets accused of ''incitement''. Professionals in the defense establishment will decide which Palestinian media will be closed. Further, it was decided to deny work permits for family members of what Israel calls ''terrorists''.