Israeli soldiers kill two Palestinians in West Bank clashes

JERUSALEM -- Two Palestinians were killed in separate clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank early Thursday, Palestinian sources and the Israeli military reported.

According to an Israeli army statement, Israeli forces were carrying out a “preplanned” operation in the town of Qalqiliya to apprehend a militant cell responsible for recent shootings. After being fired at, soldiers returned fire that resulted in the death of a Palestinian man, army officials said.

The Palestinian news agency Maan identified the man as Samir Abd al-Rahman Yassin, a 28-year-old member of the Palestinian security forces. Local residents told the news agency that Yassin was shot “in cold blood” and left to die.

In a separate incident, the Israeli military said soldiers entered the Jenin refugee camp to arrest a militant member of Islamic Jihad. According to the military, its forces were attacked with live fire and grenades before responding with gunfire that killed Nafa Jamil A’sadi, a 22-year-old Hamas member. Seven other Palestinians were injured in the fighting.

Local media reported that the clashes erupted when the soldiers’ cover as television technicians was exposed. They retreated after the clashes without the suspect they sought to arrest, the reports said.

[Updated, 6:05 a.m. PST Dec. 19: Nabul Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned the incidents, saying that the “dangerous Israeli escalation aims to foil the U.S. and international efforts” to advance the peace process.]

The incidents come at a sensitive time for peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, ahead of reported U.S. plans to present both sides with a framework agreement at the end of January.

In recent weeks, the U.S. security envoy to the talks, retired Marine Gen. John Allen, presented the parties with a planned outline of security arrangements for gradual implementation of a two-state solution.

Palestinians have fiercely criticized the plan as favoring Israeli security demands at the expense of future Palestinian sovereignty, and have questioned the United States’ role as an honest broker.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recently sent President Obama a firm but informal memorandum listing reservations about the security outline, as well as Palestinian positions on core issues including borders, settlements and Israel’s demand for recognition as a Jewish state, according to Haaretz.

However, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Wednesday that it was possible to reach a basic framework agreement for gradual implementation by the end of April, and a full peace treaty within the following year.

The U.S. is reportedly working to avert the next potential crisis in the talks by pressing Israel to refrain from announcing settlement construction plans following a release of Palestinian prisoners slated for Dec. 29.

Past releases of Palestinian prisoners from jails in Israel have been followed by high-profile announcements of Israeli plans for large-scale settlement expansion, leading Palestinian negotiators to quit and threatening to derail the talks.

The European Union has also cautioned Israel that such an announcement could cause the current talks to collapse.