Israeli-American killed in West Bank as unrest intensifies

An Israeli-American has been changeable and killed successful the occupied West Bank arsenic retaliatory unrest intensifies.

The antheral was killed successful an onslaught connected vehicles connected a road adjacent the metropolis of Jericho.

The shooting happened aft Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages in the West Bank connected Sunday night, with dozens of cars and houses burned.

That onslaught came aft 2 settlers, from a adjacent village, were changeable dormant by a Palestinian connected Sunday.

The Israeli-American antheral killed adjacent Jericho was taken by paramedics to a infirmary successful Jerusalem, but was aboriginal pronounced dead.

US Ambassador Tom Nides tweeted: "Sadly, I tin corroborate that a US national was killed successful 1 of the panic attacks successful the West Bank tonight. I commune for his family."

The Israeli Defence Forces said attackers opened occurrence connected Israeli vehicles connected 3 occasions, and aboriginal acceptable their ain vehicles connected fire.

There was an speech of occurrence with constabulary earlier the attackers fled, the IDF tweeted.

There was nary contiguous assertion of work by immoderate Palestinian groups.

Islamist question Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip but is little salient successful the West Bank, said the onslaught was a earthy effect to Israeli attacks.

"The crimes conducted by the concern and the herds of settlers volition not beryllium met but with stabbing, shooting and car ramming," a spokesperson said successful a statement.

The unit came aft Israeli and Palestinian officials had pledged to de-escalate tensions astatine a summit successful Jordan.

Videos posted hours aft the acme ended connected Sunday showed a ample assemblage of Israeli settlers entering the colony of Hawara, astir 4 miles (6km) southbound of Nablus, lighting fires and throwing stones.

The Palestinian wellness ministry said 37-year-old Sameh Aqtash died aft being changeable successful the tummy during an onslaught by settlers successful Zaatara connected Sunday night.

This portion of the West Bank falls nether afloat Israeli control, and Palestinians criticised Israeli information forces for failing to support them.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said helium held the Israeli authorities afloat liable for what helium called "the violent acts carried retired by Israeli settlers, nether the extortion of the Israeli concern forces".

Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, appealed for calm and urged settlers to let the Israeli subject and information forces to absorption connected uncovering the gunman who killed the 2 Israelis.

"I inquire that erstwhile humor is boiling and the tone is hot, don't instrumentality the instrumentality into your hands," helium said successful a video statement.

Settlers had called for a march to Hawara successful bid to "seek revenge" for the deadly onslaught connected Hillel and Yagel Yaniv, who lived successful the colony of Har Bracha, which is 1.2 miles southbound of Nablus.

The brothers were driving done Hawara erstwhile a Palestinian antheral rammed their car and past changeable them some respective times.

No Palestinian militant radical has truthful acold claimed they were down the attack, but the gunman was reportedly wearing a garment bearing the insignia of the Nablus-based Lions' Den.

Members of the radical were the targets of an Israeli raid successful Nablus past Wednesday successful which 11 Palestinians, including respective civilians, were killed - the deadliest specified cognition successful the West Bank since 2005.

Israeli forces person been carrying retired waves of search, apprehension and intelligence-gathering raids successful Nablus and the adjacent metropolis of Jenin, saying they are trying to stem the spate of deadly attacks against Israelis by Palestinians.

Since the commencement of this year, much than 60 Palestinians - militants and civilians - person been killed by Israeli forces. On the Israeli side, 14 radical person been killed successful attacks - each civilians, but for a paramilitary constabulary officer.

More than 600,000 Jews unrecorded successful 140 settlements built since Israel's concern of the West Bank and East Jerusalem successful the 1967 Middle East war.

Most of the planetary assemblage considers the settlements amerciable nether planetary law, though Israel disputes this.